Power Rangers: Toppled Hourglass
by Michelle the Editor
Summary: Akra-Mary Sues-are attacking, possessing and controlling the Power Rangers in every incarnation, and only a few misfits with morphers stand in their way. This is the original story which Shattered Hourglass was based on, now reuploaded to accompany Mesozoic Giants.
1. Chapter 1: Somewhere in Time and Space

**Somewhere in Time and Space**

Xanthe of Aquitar stumbled as she was pushed into the cramped cell, and whirled around as her captor shut the door. It locked with a click, shutting out the light entirely, and the woman's footsteps echoed away down the hall. Deep below her, Xanthe could feel the engines of the spaceship rumbling.

Xanthe backed up a few steps, and her heel hit a warm body. It recoiled and swore in a man's voice, and Xanthe jumped. Fumbling in her pocket, she found the hole, and pulled a metallic loop out of the lining of her lab coat. Holding it up, she snapped it out to full width—big enough to fit over her head, and raised her free hand.

"Light," she said clearly, reaching into it. Her fingers closed around a flashlight, and she pulled it out of the pocket dimension. Turning it on, she pointed it down at the floor. Her cellmate lay on his stomach, head on his arms, and barely twitched towards the light.

Xanthe crouched down beside him, setting the pocket dimension aside for the moment. He wore a tattered blue-grey uniform, and his hair was shaggy, blond and clumped with drying blood. Slowly, he lifted his head, turning towards her, and Xanthe gasped a little.

The man was about her age, in his twenties, and had been fairly handsome not too long ago. Now, three scars crisscrossed his face—one through his right eye, one slanting from left eyebrow to right cheekbone, and one sidling up to his nose. They were red and swollen with infection, and his eyes were clouded and sightless. He had a stubbly beard.

"Hello?" He asked. He had an Estuary English accent—like Cockney, but melted around the edges. "Who's there?"

"Xanthe of Aquitar. I was in the chemistry division of Hourglass Facility." The first trace of her own bubbling voice made the man stiffen up, and even with him somewhat lacking eyes, Xanthe knew she was being stared at incredulously.

"Um, sorry, am I delirious? Half of those words make no sense. G-Garfield Brooks, Flight Seargeant, serial number 39472."

"Oh—you are from the universe where the Earth was decimated by Venjix?" Xanthe asked quickly. Garfield nodded a little, and winced in pain. She went back to her pocket dimension. "Medical kit."

"How are you doing that?" Garfield asked, as Xanthe undid the clasps of the small white case.

"Emergency pocket dimension. We were all given them on arrival in Toppled Hourglass. Please hold still; this may sting a bit."

"You seem to know what's going on," Garfield said, propping himself up as Xanthe began cleaning the gashes on his face. He didn't make a noise, but his knuckles whitened under the grime as he clenched his arms. "I heard something about 'Akra,' and that I'm going to be drained, which sounds bad."

"It is. The Akra are our captors: they are symbiotes controlling human and near-human bodies. The Toppled Hourglass Facility was the organization set up to combat them, but our base was just overrun, and I fear many of our Rangers—the primary fighters, superheroes—have been defeated. Draining is what the Akra do to those they consider inferior or damaged in some way—our life forces will be transformed into usable energy."

"Our? What's wrong with you—aside from your voice?" Xanthe finished cleaning the cuts, and took Garfield's right hand. It was callused and covered in little cuts. She put it on her face, over her lobes. He stiffened, his breath catching in his throat, as he realized that they were real.

"I'm too alien for them to bond with. Aquitar is my home planet, and all Aquitians sound like me." Garfield slid his hand around, feeling the ridges on Xanthe's face, and her bumpy, brain-like head. She felt a bit uncomfortable, especially as he fingered her queue of long black hair, but she knew this was the closest the man could come to seeing, and he'd never encountered an alien before.

"…Okay, then," he said quietly, moving back. "Got any escape ideas?"

"First, take these," Xanthe said, opening a jar and shaking two pills into her hand. She passed them to Garfield. "They'll reduce the fever." Nodding, Garfield swallowed them. "Now, you are a soldier, I imagine you can fight somewhat. We will have to use the element of surprise. When they take us to be drained, wait for my signal, then attack your guard. Can you run?"

"I've only walked so far, but I think so, if the floor stays even." Xanthe considered bandaging Garfield's face, but decided against it. The Monitors—guards—might not have time to notice clean wounds, but a bandage would raise questions.

"Good. This ship should have portal technology, if not readily available weapons." Garfield nodded, and cocked his head to the side.

"Someone's coming." Quickly, Xanthe tossed her equipment back into the pocket dimension, folded it, and shoved it into her pocket. The sudden light from the opening door was blinding, and she threw up an arm. The Monitor grabbed it, dragging her to her feet, and Xanthe was hustled into the hallway.

She stumbled a little, and staggered along as the Monitor dragged her. Pretending to be dehydrated was easy, and the Monitor bought it—her grip stayed slack. Garfield was right behind her, trying not to fall down as his guard pulled him.

Xanthe waited until Garfield had gotten the hang of walking. As they reached an intersection, Xanthe shouted, twisted around, and threw the Monitor over her shoulder in a judo throw. Garfield somersaulted, flattening his guard, and slammed an elbow into the man's throat. The Monitor gagged, and Garfield sprang to his feet. He caught himself on the wall for balance.

"This way," Xanthe said, taking him by the hand and starting down a passageway. Free hand extended, Garfield ran gamely. The Monitors began shouting, and Xanthe turned another corner. Garfield tripped, and Xanthe quickly dragged him up again. "Sorry."

"Go!" The two kept running. All of the hallways looked the same—silvery, square and boring, dotted with panels that looked somewhat important. Xanthe wished she knew how to hack into a computer system, but knew she'd probably set of an alarm if she tried anything fancy. Just as she thought of it, an alarm began to blare.

Then a door hissed open, and they ran into an open room. Xanthe stared around at it, panting. Tables, benches, lockers—this was some kind of break room. And in the middle of the room was a round glass case, holding a collection of bronze objects on chains.

Xanthe walked forward slowly. Garfield's grip on her hand tightened, and he moved slowly, still keeping one hand extended. There were six necklaces there, each in its own mirrored segment of the case. They were miniature hourglasses set inside two metal rings, each with differently-colored sand; purple, green, yellow, blue, red, copper and iron gray. Below each sat a small, silvery device shaped like a laser pointer, with two buttons on one side. Xanthe put a hand on the glass.

"What is it?" Garfield asked. His voice echoed in the empty room. The alarm was still going, but distant now.

"The Gyro Morphers. The devices our Rangers used to transform," Xanthe explained quickly, seeing the blank expression on Garfield's face. "There were originally nine Rangers, and from this, only three have escaped."

"Back up," Garfield said, letting go of Xanthe's hand and pulling off a shoe.

"What?" Xanthe did back up, and Garfield slammed the heel of his shoe into the glass. It shattered, and Garfield smacked the bits of glass away before he reached in. His fingers tangled in the chain of the blue Gyro Morpher, and he drew it out and felt it. Xanthe grabbed the laser pointer, and pushed the uppermost button. Both lit up, but the lower one was blue.

"Portal Pointer—this is our escape route," Xanthe said, "But it's been deadlocked. That's how the Akra got so many of us—they automatically lock on to an Akra signature now."

"Okay, we'll just take them out as we go. That's what your superheroes did, right?" Garfield smashed another case, and took out both Gyro Morpher and Portal Pointer. He held the morpher out to Xanthe. She stared at him.

"Do you know what you are suggesting?" She wanted to take the morpher, very badly—and with a little twinge, she recognized it. Viridian green; it had belonged to her cousin, Urisus. Her fingers itched, but she held back.

"Yeah, basically. Come on, we need to hurry." Xanthe carefully gave her Gyro Morpher a single turn, so the full side of the hourglass was on top. She did the same for Garfield, and the two devices began humming with energy. Taking a deep breath, Xanthe took the morpher, and raised the Portal Pointer.

"Upon entry into an Akra timestream, our morphers will give us the shapes of two of the major players in the scheme—Akra always try to create an ideal and rather ridiculous life for themselves. We may be separated in order to do this, though. It lasts until the sand in your morpher runs out—you will know; turn it again if necessary."

"I'll be careful," Garfield replied. "You contact me?"

"I shall. I will be the first to call you by your true name, Garfield Brooks." Garfield ducked his head in acknowledgment, and Xanthe pushed the button. A blue light shot from the end, hitting the wall and expanding into a wide, pulsing portal.

Then the far door slammed open, and Monitors began pouring into the room, shouting. With one last longing glance at the remaining morphers, Xanthe seized Garfield by the arm and ran. A laser shot past their heads, and then they were in the portal. It felt like walking into a layer of cold jelly. Then there was a pop and a snap, and Garfield's hand was ripped out of Xanthe's grip.

Gasping, Garfield stumbled, and flailed for something to grab on to. Just as he found a doorpost, someone walked into him, and they both went sprawling. As Garfield hit the floor, he realized several things. One, even though he still couldn't see and felt feverish, the scars on his face were gone. Two, he was in new clothes, including a leather jacket and something hanging around his neck on a cord. Three, whoever he'd bumped into had spilled their duffel bag all over the floor.

Scooting forward, Garfield began feeling around. He found a spilling water bottle and quickly righted it, and a slender hand plucked it out of his hands. People murmured around them, and whoever-it-was was out of breath.

"Sorry," he said, and paused. That was not his voice, nor his native accent. Why was he Scottish all of a sudden? Ohhh, right, disguise. He hadn't expected the voice, though. Actually, now that he was paying attention, his body felt rather different—the disguise thing Xanthe had mentioned was thorough. Even his teeth felt different.

"No, no, it's my f—" A girl replied, trailing off. Garfield could smell violets now, very strongly—his mother had worked in a perfume shop, and he could distinguish a dangerously effeminate number of scents automatically. Suddenly, he sensed that the woman in front of him was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen—although he couldn't see a thing. The rest of his mind shrugged in bewilderment.

"You're the Blue Ranger!" The girl exclaimed. The same thing that had told Garfield what kind of girl this was made him grin, and told him exactly what to say next. Too tired and confused to argue, he went along with it.

"You've got me. Flynn McAllistair, RPM Operator Series Blue," he said, holding out his hand. The girl shook it. "Knock people down here often?"

"Alicia Wilson, and yes, but usually on the sparring court," she replied saucily.

"Do you, now?" Garfield grinned, and helped her stand, and passed her the duffel bag.

"Come back here tomorrow if you want me to prove it to you," Alicia replied.

"Why not now?"

"Because I just finished my workout for today, plus I think those two with the worried expressions heading for us are your friends." Garfield turned around, hearing footsteps, and a hand came down on his shoulder. He stood up, and felt the Gyro Morpher bump against his chest, under his jacket. Okay, one thing had stayed the same—it was the cause; it made sense.

"Flynn," another woman, around Alicia's age, said, "Doctor K wants us back at the Garage. New weapon or something." Xanthe? Apparently not—or else it wasn't safe yet.

"On my way, Summer. Same time?" He asked Alicia. This drew a rather odd-sounding "oooh" from Summer.

"You've got it. If you're supposed to be protecting the city from Venjix, you'll need all the help you can get," Alicia said. Garfield couldn't help freezing up briefly, as Alicia slipped past him. Venjix? Was this Corinth City? He thought he'd heard Rory mention it a couple of times. They'd been heading there, but been picked up by the Akra along the way.

"Flynn!" A man snapped, and Garfield jumped as he was punched in the arm.

"I'm fine, let's go," he said, feeling his ears turn a little pink. From Summer's giggle, she interpreted the color change a little differently, and Garfield shook his head. This was going to be a strange job.

* * *

So, sorry for flooding everybody's alerts like this! As you can see, I've decided to restore the...not the oldest draft of this story, but the one that I actually finished. I decided that I should repost Mesozoic Giants a few months ago, since I'd decided that the people who submitted characters to it deserved to have that version of the story available again, even if I wasn't entirely happy with the fic. And of course, that story crosses over with this one a lot, and uses a lot of concepts that have been changed or taken out of Shattered Hourglass entirely. In order to keep Mesozoic Giants readable, and because the two drafts have gotten so different that this isn't redundant, Toppled Hourglass is back to stay.


	2. Chapter 2: Corinth City, May 7th, 2000's

**Corinth City, May 7th, 2000's**

Garfield pushed the Fitness Center's door open, and walked inside. He moved very slowly, keeping one hand on the wall, but still bumped into a few benches. Each impact made him wince; he'd gotten a colorful collection of bruises from the walk back to the Garage yesterday. For some reason, nobody had really paid attention to him, even when he'd gone straight to bed after Doctor K's meeting and slept the rest of the day. The Gyro Morpher hadn't run out yet.

He followed his nose to the lockers, finding Alicia just closing hers. She still reeked of violets. Everything pointed to her being the Akra this particular timeline centered around, but Garfield had no idea what to do. Maybe once he'd gotten walking down, he'd try out a few of his weapons while nobody was around.

"Hi," the girl said, giving her combination lock a spin. "Ready to be knocked down properly this time?"

"Oh, I'm not so sure that's going to happen," Garfield replied, far more cockily than he felt, and leaned on the locker. "Seeing as I'm the trained Ranger, I may do a bit of knocking down myself." The Scottish accent still sounded weird coming out of his mouth.

"We'll see. Come on." Alicia took Garfield by the arm and led him through the loose group of people onto a mat. Garfield slipped off his shoes as he got there, and wondered just how badly he was about to get beaten up. He seemed to be able to navigate better around Alicia; would that affect his fighting ability?

Then he was facing Alicia, sliding into a fighting stance. The Akra lunged for him, and Garfield ducked a high kick. Springing back up, he wrapped his arm around her knee and flipped her off balance. Her hands and feet thudded on the mat as she landed. Before Garfield could do anything, Alicia's foot shot out and caught him by the ankle, flipping him onto his back.

Then Alicia was on top of him, trying to pin him to the mat. Fortunately, she was rather smaller than Garfield, even if he had been himself instead of Flynn, and he managed to flip over, trapping her instead. She struggled a little, and they both panted for a minute.

"Not bad," Garfield said, grinning.

"Not bad at all. You can get off, now."

"Oh, I kind of like us where we are." Garfield actually tried to stop the words coming out, but only slurred them a little. He shuddered a little.

"Wait until the third date at least, tiger," Alicia replied. She was smiling, though.

"Then we'd better get started on the first one, I think. Also I'm a lion." Garfield.

"Roar." Then Alicia caught Garfield by the shoulder and flipped him to the ground, pinning him with one arm. With a choked laugh, Garfield tried to get up, but that skinny girl kept him down. Okay, definitely an Akra. He wondered where Xanthe was.

"Thanks, Flynn," Alicia said, as Garfield closed the hood of her car. He tried to wipe the grease stain off his cheek, but only made it worse.

"No trouble at all."

"I knew you had to be good at something useful—because you really stink at fighting," Alicia added, grinning wickedly. Garfield raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" He made a grab for her, but she ducked under it, caught him by the wrist and pinned him to the hood of her car.

"Yes, really!" Alicia's grip was tight enough to hurt, but Garfield ignored it.

"Point made—let me up now?" He asked. Alicia giggled—and somewhere nearby, Summer echoed the noise. Garfield rolled his eyes—there was something wrong with that woman, and it mainly seemed to come out when Alicia was around.

"What's the magic word?" The Akra's voice was teasing. Garfield growled.

"Please?" Alicia cocked her head to one side. Pins and needles started working through Garfield's fingers.

"Hmm, how about 'please let me up, I'm just a simple mechanic who will never best you, Alicia'?"

"You've got to be kidding!" Alicia gave his arm a wrench, and Garfield nearly bit his tongue stifling his yelp. Why did she keep doing things like this to him? Did she think causing pain was flirty?

"All right, all right! Please let me up, I'm a simple mechanic who will never best you, Alicia!"

" _Just_ a simple mechanic," Alicia corrected him. With an exasperated sigh, Garfield repeated the entire thing again, and at last, Alicia let him up, singing out a thank you.

"You're welcome," Garfield muttered, rubbing his wrist and flexing his bloodless fingers. Summer and Scott laughed again, and Garfield glared in their direction, sending the Rangers scurrying away. "Could you be more careful with that super strength of yours? I think you cut off my circulation."

"Aw, does poor widdle Fwynn's hand huwt?" Alicia asked sweetly.

"That was meant as a compliment, actually," Garfield said, though he would have preferred "is there a name for what's wrong with you?" Grabbing a hankerchief, Alicia wiped the grease stain off his face.

"Well, thank you, then. Same time tomorrow?"

"Same time." Garfield walked away. He rounded a few corners, and felt a small surge of energy coming from his Gyro Morpher. His disguise was wearing out again. Speeding up a little, he decided to let it lapse again; he wanted to go check on something.

Nobody saw the blue flash as Garfield transformed back into himself. The first time he'd done this, he'd reverted to his old uniform and his half-healed scars—but he'd prepared for that. New clothes, medical supplies and eventually sunglasses, and he was just another wounded veteran in Corinth City.

Garfield made his way to the city archives, and quickly found a quiet computer alcove. One one of his earlier trips during the last three weeks, he'd been shown the voice command setting, and now he typed in the command code and entered.

Garfield scooted his chair in a little closer. The place smelled like some sea-scented air freshener, and there were a few other people moving around quietly in the halls and rooms around his. He cleared his throat.

"Computer, check latest census for Elizabeth Brooks, point of origin London, England, approximately forty-seven years old." The computer hummed to work, and feeling a little nervous, Garfield slid his wheelie chair closer. It was a sunny but mild midafternoon, and a weekend, but even the few people in the archives made him nervous.

"No such person located," the computer said. Garfield bit his lip.

"Search other lists," Garfield replied. The computer went back to work. Garfield almost wished Alicia were here—the Akra influence made suddenly difficult tasks like walking or getting the right change easier. It was a sort of instinct.

"Elizabeth 'Liz' Brooks," the computer began, startling Garfield back into the real world, "Reported aboard the evacuation ship Constantine, presumed still aboard when it sank."

Garfield let his head drop forward until it thunked against the computer desk. He didn't say anything, didn't do anything, for a long time. He'd suspected it, but hey, a guy could hope, couldn't he? He let out a long sigh.

"Computer, locate Makoto Hsien," he said at last. He sat back in the chair, and ran a hand over his face.

"Makoto Hsien. Current residence: 16, Skye Apartments, resides with infant daughter Marcia." Garfield shook his head, smiling sadly.

"Why couldn't you have been the one to get out, Rory?" Giving his chair a spin, he went back to the computer. "Locate Jodie Harper."

* * *

Xanthe had to admit, being a villain was rather fun—though she hadn't actually done anything evil since her arrival nearly a month ago. The false Tenaya 7 stood in the shadows of a Corinth City alley, scanning the area for any Rangers. Glancing around, she gestured for the Grinders to follow her. Somehow, she guessed that it was time for her to act at last.

Coming up to a wall, she heard loud laughter, and paused. One quick peek around the corner confirmed her suspcions: Flynn, Blue Ranger, was coming down the road. On his arm was a pretty auburn in an orange silk dress whom Xanthe didn't recognize. However, the familiar wave of Akra influence emanating from her made it clear. Xanthe smirked, and backed up, gesturing for the Grinders to fan out and hide in ambush.

"But seriously, Alicia, I still don't understand how you can be so strong," Flynn was saying.

"It's just a gift—I've always had it."

"Your 'gift' is driving Doctor K crazy. She's been begging me to let her run some tests on you to find out what's causing it."

"Poor thing." Alicia didn't sound sympathetic at all. This drew another laugh from Flynn, but Xanthe detected a strained look in his eyes. She guessed she'd found Garfield. He seemed to have adjusted to his blindness quite well.

"Apparently there _are_ people in the world who think Scottish accents are hot; I thought they were all extinct," Xanthe said, stepping out into the street behind the pair. The Grinders leaped out of their hiding places, surrounding the two. "Flynn" quickly shoved Alicia behind him, but she moved past him, glaring at Xanthe.

"You're interrupting my date. Big, big mistake, robo-girl." Taking a deep breath, Alicia whirled around and blew a gust of gale-force breath at the Grinders, sending them in every direction. Xanthe's eyes widened, and Flynn stared in disbelief.

"What?" Xanthe cried.

"Don't just stand there, morph!" The Akra host exclaimed, jabbing "Flynn" in the side. Then Xanthe felt a familiar surge of energy coming from her pocket. Quickly, she yanked out her Gyro Morpher—the last few grains of sand were falling into the bottom half of the hourglass.

"Xanthe?" "Flynn" asked. Alicia glanced at him in bewilderment.

"Garfield?" Xanthe asked, as she changed back into herself with a green flash. "I suggest we obey Alicia." She Raised the Gyro Morpher beside her head with her left hand.

"What are you doing?" Alicia cried.

"Sands of Time," Xanthe began, flicking the hourglass with her thumb and setting it into a spin, "Rise Up!" She raised it over her head.

 _Xanthe poses inside a clock tower, surrounded by bronzed cogs and wheels. The hourglass in her right hand shines green, and the sand bursts out. It covers her, forming her suit, and the image of the hourglass forms her helmet._

 _"Viridian Hourglass Ranger!"_

"Monkey see, monkey do," Garfield said, taking his own Gyro Morpher out from under his jacket.

 _Garfield stands before a huge, dripping water clock. The hourglass in his hand glows blue, and the sand explodes around him in a blue storm. Swirling wildly, it forms his Ranger suit._

" _Cerulean Hourglass Ranger!"_

"No!" Alicia screamed, recoiling from the two Hourglass Rangers. Their suits were jewel-toned, with white chest panels lined with gold buttons, white gloves and boots. The helmets were black with opaque visors shaped like hourglasses, reminiscent of Time Force's clock hands; Xanthe's was squarish, Garfield's diamond-shaped.

"Yes," Garfield said, shrugging widely. Ailcia dropped into a fighting stance—though the silk dress rather ruined the effect. Her hair was straggling out of its bun as well, but only in an attractive way. Akra influence worked in strange ways sometimes.

"What have you done with Flynn?"

"Just swapped places with him," Garfield said. "You've never actually met him, sorry." Alicia's expression darkened, and she made a grab for Garfield's throat. The Cerulean Ranger swung back to avoid it.

"Hourglass Revolver!" He shouted, and a brassy flintlock appeared in his hand, and he fired. Blue gas exploded from the barrel, but Alicia quickly blew it back in Garfield's face. As his suit shielded him from the gas, he ignored it and lunged for Alicia, wrapping his hands around her throat. She choked, caught him by the wrists and yanked his hands away. With a fierce snarl, she bent both of his hands back until he cried out in pain.

"Tranquilizer Mode!" Xanthe exclaimed, drawing her own Hourglass Revolver. She snapped the pommel up and twisted it, and a needle extended from the butt. Charging forward, she seized Alicia in a headlock, but got headbutted in the jaw. Releasing Garfield, Alicia caught ahold of Xanthe, threw her over her shoulder in a judo hold, and backflipped out of reach.

"You've ruined everything!" The girl screamed. Then her head snapped back, and yellow veins grew visible on her face. They extended from her back, covering her bare shoulders and wrapping around her arms. The Akra was panicking.

"Neural Net!" Xanthe shouted, and whirled the green net over her head. As Alicia screamed in agony, clutching at the back of her neck, the Aquitian threw. The net wrapped around Alicia, knocking her down, and all of the little electrodes woven into it flashed. Stunned, Alicia crumpled on her side.

"You okay?" Garfield asked, standing and rolling his hands around. Breathless, Xanthe ran to the unconscious Alicia. She demorphed into herself—her disguise automatically deactivated after morphing—and pulled out her pocket dimension.

"We have to get the Akra off her back. That way Time Force will be able to detect it, take it into custody and undo the timeline. The host will be returned to her normal time as well. Containment Jar!" Xanthe pulled a glass jar full of a thick, clear liquid out, setting it on the ground, and rolled Alicia over onto her stomach.

"I don't understand," Garfield said, crouching beside them and putting a hand on Alicia's back. The Akra twitched, and he recoiled. "Okay, now I do. It just comes off?"

"It leaves a welt, but yes, once it's unconscious it can be pulled off." Garfield nodded, and demorphed himself. His disguise had turned itself off as well. With a little trouble, he began pulling the Neural Net aside.

But as the two pulled the net aside, Alicia woke up. Her eyes widened, and she sprang up, knocking Garfield flat on his back. Her eyes blazed yellow, and she gestured at the ground. Yellow tendrils shot down her arm and into the ground, quickly forming a yellow portal. She dove headlong through it, slipping through Xanthe's grip like a fish, and it snapped shut.

Garfield pulled himself up, and he and Xanthe just panted for a moment. The few Grinders began picking themselves up, looking around in bewilderment. The Containment Jar had been knocked over, and fluid was spilling all over the concrete.

"She got away?" He asked, touching his now-bleeding lip.

"Yes." Xanthe picked up the jar, put the lid on, and it sealed with a hiss.

"Well, nothing like a good start to build confidence. Should we leave now?"

"Yes. This timeline should abort itself with the Akra gone, once we've left." Xanthe put the jar back in her pocket dimension, which she folded up. "Honestly, I'm surprised the Monitors didn't show up." Garfield shrugged.

* * *

I wish I could say that the location/date titles were chosen because I thought they were the most fitting, that they worked with the story concept, but honestly I just couldn't think of any clever titles for the chapters.


	3. Chapter 3: Blue Bay Harbor, Aug 29, 2003

**Blue Bay Harbor, August 29, 2003**

It was a bright, sunny day when the Toppled Hourglass Rangers arrived. Xanthe gazed around Storm Chargers, which was empty except for her. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in a display of bicycle mirrors: red hair. She was Kelly. Garfield hadn't appeared yet.

Then the door opened, and she looked up to see a young brunet man walk inside. He smiled at her, but there was a strange sadness around his brown eyes. The Akra influence flowed in immediately, and smiling, Xanthe came around the counter.

"You must be Rick Jacobs," she said, and held out a hand. "Kelly. It's nice to have someone who isn't late for work for once."

Rick shook her hand and tried to smile, though there was still an air of sadness about him. Xanthe's smile faded.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong. Thanks again for hiring me on such short notice," Rick said, glancing around the shop.

"Hey, I could really use the help. Let's get started," Xanthe said, and led Rick behind the counter. As she instructed Rick in his various jobs, the Aquitian did a quiet telepathy scan.

" _She's so nice, unlike everyone else,"_ Rick's stream of consciousness went. _"I wonder if—no. If she finds out what I can do, she'll treat me like a freak, just like everyone else. These powers are such a curse!"_

Xanthe tried to probe deeper and find out what powers Rick was referring to, but Rick suddenly glanced her way, and she stopped. Bad idea to rouse the Akra this early.

"Hey, Kelly!" Dustin's voice rang out from the front of the shop. Xanthe and Rick got up, and turned to see all of the Ninja Storm Rangers except Cam come inside. None of them seemed particularly clumsy; but then, Garfield might just be getting used to navigation.

"Guys, this is Rick. He'll be helping fill in when you guys are out," Kelly said, and there were handshakes all around.

"Don't worry, we'll stick around until you've got the hang of things," Hunter said. He seemed unusually friendly.

"But dude, if there's a sudden mad rush for swim goggles or something, you're on your own," Dustin added, prompting a laugh from everyone. Xanthe was rather fond of Ranger quipping, but even she had to wince a little at that one. Rick was smiling, though. Wait a moment—

" _If only I could tell you guys. But I promised."_ He entered into a misty flashback of himself as a young child at his mother's deathbed.

" _You can't tell anyone about what you can do, Ricky," the woman said, interrupting herself with a coughing fit. The miniature Rick stared, googly-eyed. With shaking hands, his mother reached into her nightstand, opened a secret panel in the drawer, and pulled out a Wind Ninja Morpher. "Bring this back to the Wind Ninja Academy, when you find it. Tell them that Marie DeLancie is sorry, that I made a mistake."_

" _Tell them yourself, Mommy, when you get better," the boy pleaded, as his mother put the morpher into his hands. Sadly, the woman shook her head, leaning back in the bed._

" _I don't think I'm going to get better, Ricky. Don't worry, your Daddy will take care of you."_

" _But I don't want you to!" Rick protested, his eyes somehow getting bigger and moister with tears. He dove in for a hug, which his mother gave him._

" _Neither do I," she whispered. Then her eyes closed, her head dropped back, and her grip slackened. Rick didn't seem to notice—he just held on for a while, despite the increasing morbidity of the scene._ Xanthe remembered with some irony that she'd seen the exact scene before, when she'd pitched in to help run through some fake Akra memories. The only differences were in morpher and school—the mother was identical down to her maiden name.

Then Hunter's morpher went off. The Ninja Storm Rangers exchanged alarmed looks, and Rick lost his train of thought.

"Kelly, we've got to go!" Dustin called.

"What? You just got here," Xanthe protested, as the group rushed out the door.

"Sorry!" Hunter shouted. The door slammed shut, and Xanthe folded her arms.

"See what I have to deal with? You're not going to start running out on me for no reason, right?" She asked Rick.

"Wild horses couldn't drag me away," Rick replied fervently. Then he realized how that sounded, and flushed in embarrassment. Xanthe smiled.

"Thanks. Now, we need to get to work."

* * *

"Zurgane!" Lothor's voice rang out, and Garfield jumped a little. His bulky armor clattered, and he wondered if he was this "Zurgane" fellow. Probably. He hurried towards the voice anyway, moving slowly in the suit.

"What, forgot to oil your armor and went out in the rain this morning?" Lothor asked, suddenly right beside Garfield. That line didn't even seem to make sense to Lothor, so he just plunged onwards. "I've got an important job for you. The Fire Ranger's back."

"The Fire Ranger, sir?" Garfield asked. His voice was gravelly—it sort of reminded him of his Gramps, actually, but Garfield suspected that Zurgane didn't smoke nearly as much as that old man. The mental image of this sardine can puffing on Gramps' pipe made Garfield chuckle under his breath. Lothor was pacing—his robe rustled on the floor. There were feminine giggles from off to Garfield's right, which Garfield decided to ignore for the moment. They turned into squeaks, and Lothor sat down.

"Yes, the 'lost' ninja technique. The Wind Ninja Academy used to teach them, but they were too unruly—didn't like to play by the rules." He chuckled a little. "If only they'd still been taught while I was there. But back on the subject. There used to be a Fire Ranger, but the last one ran off with the technology and disappeared."

"But he's returned?" Garfield guessed.

"Well, technically it was a she, and I think it's her son or grandson or something, but yes, there's a new Yellorange Ranger in town."

"Yellorange. _Yellorange._ "

"Is there an echo in here?" Lothor sounded genuinely confused.

"Right, never mind. Will he fight with us?"

"Ooh, Uncle, is that the kid you've been having us spy on?" A young woman asked, from somewhere near Lothor. "Because he's really cute."

"Kapri, let the grown-ups talk," Lothor said patronizingly. There were a few audible pouts. "Zurgane, we're going to make him an offer—and to make sure he can't refuse it, I want you to send some Kelzak Furies to bring back his lady friend for insurance." There were a few little moans of disappointment at this revelation, and Garfield rolled his eyes.

"Er, what about the other Rangers?" He asked. "Don't you think they might try to recruit him themselves?"

"Good thinking, Zurgane. Just send one of our old monsters down to keep them busy." Garfield bowed as well as he could—which wasn't very far at all—and left.

* * *

Xanthe walked out the back door of Storm Chargers, lugging a bag of trash. She still hadn't been able to figure out what powers Rick was constantly moaning about, but apparently they'd gotten him a certain amount of parental abuse at some point.

As she threw the trash bag into the dumpster, a horde of Kelzak Furies materialized around her. Eyes widening, Xanthe stared around as they began closing in, and screamed as one clamped down on her arm. They crushed together, but there were too many—they filled the alley so they could barely move.

As Xanthe struggled with the grabby creatures, she glimpsed something flutter up onto the roof out of the corner of her eye. She tried to look, but a hand caught her by the throat, and she was swiftly distracted.

"Hey!" A shout rang from the rooftop, and all of the foot soldiers stopped. A yellow-orange male Ranger stood there, arms folded. The emblem on his chest was a flame, and a pair of huge dark-feathered wings unfolded from his shoulders. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"

Leaping into the air, Rick—who else?—dove down towards the group, arms raised. Flames shot from his right hand and ice from his left, and he took out two huge swathes of the Kelzaks before they could even react. Only a few surrounding Xanthe were left.

Rick touched down, and the wings folded back into his shoulderblades. The Kelzak Furies recoiled, grabbing ahold of Xanthe. She didn't move as the Yellorange Ranger advanced. Although the Aquitian had never fainted in her life, she could tell that one was on the way.

"Let go of the lady if you want to live, creeps." The Kelzak Furies didn't obey. Rick's visor shot open, and lightning bolts fired from his eyes, instantly vaporizing the Kelzak Furies where they stood. Xanthe flinched, but she was untounched. That didn't stop her from fainting, though.

As Xanthe returned to consciousness, she grew aware of the Yellorange Ranger bending over her. His visor's edging was birdlike—a phoenix? Seemed likely, with the fire motif and all. With a little groan, she looked up at him.

"Are you okay, Kelly?" The stranger asked.

"F-fine," Xanthe began, staring at him. She reached into his mind again—but it was a mistake. A sudden vision struck, showing her pushing him aside, revealing her true self and morphing, all in a rush. Rick had had a vision of the future.

With a string of curses in Mandarin, Latin, Sumerian, Japanese and a demonic language Xanthe didn't recognize, Rick threw her back and sprang to his feet. Xanthe leaped up as well, snatching up her Gyro Morpher.

"Fire Volley!" Rick shouted, summoning a longbow from the air. He fired a swift volley of flaming arrows at Xanthe, but she twisted and leaped aside. She wasn't quite fast enough, though, and one hit her in the shoulder, burning it. With a cry of pain, the Aquitian doubled over.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

This time it was an ice missile Rick threw at the now-morphed Viridian Ranger. Xanthe hit the wall with an oof, and shattered a pile of crates. Her suit sparked and sputtered with the impact. Gasping, she flipped herself back onto her feet, summoning her Hourglass Revolver with a fierce whisper.

"Oh no you don't!" More lightning bolts slammed the Viridian Ranger to the ground again, and she screamed in pain. The Yellorange Ranger stalked towards her, tossing his longbow back into its parallel dimension. "Who are you and what have you done with Kelly?"

"Xanthe of Aquitar," Xanthe gasped, looking up at him. The Yellorange Ranger put a boot on her shoulder. Beneath her stomach, the Aquitian clenched her Hourglass Revolver. "And nothing. Just replaced her."

"Why?" Rick bent down to glare at Xanthe. His visor was still retracted, and electricity crackled around his eyes.

"To protect her from you, Akra." In one quick motion, Xanthe drew the Revolver and fired, blasting Rick with gas. He yelled and recoiled, coughing, but his visor was open, and one of the few powers he lacked was super breath. However, Rick tried several of his other powers anyway.

A torrent of flame slammed Xanthe to the concrete, and she dropped her Hourglass Revolver. Scrambling for it, she ducked as a volley of needle-sharp icicles swept over her head and shattered against the wall. Rick's morph vanished with a flash, and he collapsed, twitching.

Gasping, Xanthe stood up and waited for a moment. No one was coming. The alley was silent, and the gas dissipated in a breeze. With a sigh of relief, Xanthe holstered her Hourglass Revolver and demorphed.

"Containment Jar." It was the same one as before, still only half-full. Xanthe knelt beside the Akra host, and gently rolled him over onto his stomach. He groaned a little as she peeled his shirt up. The Akra was deep violet and very large, covering his entire back. Carefully, Xanthe began peeling it off.

It took a while, but at last, Xanthe got the entire creature off Rick's back. The Akra host's skin was covered in red welts wherever the Akra's suckers had attached, but otherwise he wasn't hurt. Carefully, Xanthe slid the creature into the Containment Jar. The symbiote was just slightly too big, and she had to cram it, but in the end she managed.

As she moved to take Rick's morpher, she let out a startled yelp. The Yellorange Wind Ninja Morpher was collapsing into a gooey, whitish substance, mixed with bits of metal. Tentatively, Xanthe peeled it off his wrist and held it up. It clung to her skin, and she rubbed it between her fingers.

"White Akra," she said. "I knew I'd forgotten to explain something to Garfield." Giving her head a little shake, the Aquitian wiped her hand off on her pants, and stood up. She swayed a little, and caught herself on the wall. She was sweating, and unusually hot even for August on Earth. Dehydration, again.

"H2O—SP," Xanthe said, taking up and reaching into her pocket dimension. She found a small blue case, shaped like the medkit, and opened it. Inside lay a set of syringes full of deep blue liquid. Taking out one and sitting down, Xanthe rolled up her sleeve and injected the stuff into her arm.

Almost immediately, a cool feeling began to flow from the hypodermic. Xanthe leaned back against the brick wall with a sigh. It wasn't even close to a substitute for the filtered pool she'd had in her quarters, never mind the pure waters of Aquitar, but it kept her from dehydrating. She put everything away.

Standing again, Xanthe checked her disguise—yes, it was still working—and started out of the alley. Their contacts in Time Force would take care of Rick and his Akra, now that they were separate and thus detectable. The Aquitian went to find Garfield.

* * *

Thoughts from 2017: This was the first Stu submitted by Rye Lee, who provided a lot of the Akra concepts used in this series. I always kinda suspected that the reason he made these characters so outlandish and over-the-top was that his regular OCs already had Sue-ish tendencies, so he defined a Sue/Stu as "has crazy powers." Then again, I had not seen any anime at that time. Now I know this is not that much of an exaggeration.


	4. Chapter 4: San Angeles, June 8, 2007

**San Angeles, June 8, 2007**

The Overdrive Rangers charged into battle with much shouting, and Flurious's Chillers ran to meet them. The footsoldiers were smashed and blasted apart with ease, but there were enough of them to keep the Rangers busy, which was what Flurious wanted.

The villain strode up to a stone altar, and placed his palm flat on an indentation in the top. He turned it, and with a rumble, the altar's sides folded back. Inside it sat a gleaming bronze shield, covered in runes and carvings of battles.

"At last," Flurious gloated, holding up a bronze shield. "The Shield of Achilles is mine!"

"No!" Mack shouted, trying to force his way through the Chillers in vain. Laughing, Flurious turned and started away, carrying the artifact.

Then a black blur zipped past Flurious, ripping the shield out of his grasp. The attacker rolled and sprang back up, turning to face the villain with the shield at the ready. He turned out to be a dark young man, dressed in black leather and wearing a katana over his shoulder. He flicked his black hair out of his stormy grey eyes, and let out a quick laugh.

"What?" Flurious roared. The Rangers paused in their battle. Xanthe, now in the guise of Rose, pinned a Chiller's arm to her chest and stared as the foot soldier did. A quick glance at "her" teammates didn't give away where Garfield had gone. Was he Flurious?

"Who is that?" Mack wondered aloud.

"I've never seen him before, but I like his style," Will commented.

"Yeah!" Dax agreed eagerly.

"You're going to regret interfering, whoever you are!" Flurious roared, advancing on the stranger and hefting his staff.

"The name's Jorge de Pareja, and actually, I think you're the one who'll be doing the regretting," the newcomer replied with a confident smirk. With one swift motion, he drew the katana off his back and gave it a quick twirl.

"Er, should we help?" Tyzonn asked.

"He seems to be doing fine on his own," Mack replied, grinning. Tyzonn shook his head. Xanthe reached out telepathically: yes, it was Garfield. He was just wishing for an alcoholic beverage.

" _Garfield?"_ Xanthe asked telepathically, making him jump.

" _Get out of my head and stay out, please!"_ He seemed pretty shaken. Abashed, Xanthe withdrew.

" _I apologize."_ Garfield gave his head a little shake, and both Hourglass Rangers went back to the Akra fight.

Flurious charged, swinging his staff like a club. Jorge calmly made one slash with his katana, and Flurious stopped up short. The villain looked at the two steaming halves of his snow staff, and let out a roar of fury. Jorge set the tip of his katana to Flurious's throat.

"Run. Now," he ordered. Flurious, being an ancient warrior with an army of monsters at his command, proceeded to turn tail and run like a kicked puppy. However, Xanthe did see something small and shiny fly out of his hand as he went, heading towards Jorge. The Rangers—all of them—were understandably awestruck, though for different reasons.

"He's amazing!" Ronny gushed.

"Fantastic!" Tyzonn exclaimed—though he looked a bit strained. Xanthe was staring at Jorge; she already knew she was going to be the love interest. It was the default setting.

"Dude, you have got to show me how to do that!" Dax cried, running over to Jorge. He was startled when the stranger pointed the katana in his direction.

"I'm not on your side, Rangers," Jorge said. "I need the Shield for my own purposes. Goodbye."

"You can't!" Ronny protested.

"Watch me," Jorge replied, and turned away.

"We're trying to protect the entire universe! What's more important than that?" Mack demanded.

"Look, go play superheroes somewhere else!" Jorge yelled, brandishing his katana again. "The Shield is safe from all those aliens, what's your problem? I know it isn't part of the Corona Aurora, so leave me alone!"

But as Jorge turned to leave, Xanthe saw the shiny object again—a little ice bug clinging to the Shield of Achilles. Its body was flashing red, faster and faster. Almost before she knew what was happening, Xanthe broke into a run.

Jorge whirled around with an incredulous shout as Xanthe charged towards him. Smacking his arm aside, she ripped the Shield of Achilles out of his hands, clutched it to her chest, and somersaulted away. The bug turned red, and the explosion threw her several yards into the air. Xanthe screamed, but couldn't hear it over the blast.

She hit the ground with a painful jolt that jarred every tooth in her head. Her ears rang, and she could taste blood in her mouth. The Aquitian's ribs blazed with pain so that she could barely breathe. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed "her" teammates running towards her in slow motion.

Then Jorge was bending over her. His expression was a mixture of horror and disbelief. As Xanthe's vision greyed out around the edges, she tried to say something, but it hurt too much. Jorge shook his head, and she fainted.

* * *

Garfield stood in a corner of the base, listening to Jorge yell at the Overdrive Rangers. They'd brought him, his smashed morpher and the remnants of the Shield of Achilles back to Hartford Mansion, and Jorge had simmered the entire way there.

"I didn't say it was beyond repair," Mr. Hartford argued, "Just that it would take some time!"

"I don't have any time! This is all your fault—if you hadn't shown up, Flurious would never have gone after the Shield!" Jorge roared. "Do you just need to get your hands on every single artifact out there?"

"Dude, calm down," Dax tried, but Jorge whirled on him, his sword clanking with the movement.

"Calm down? Thanks to your bumbling, I've lost my last change at revenge!"

"Hey, thanks to _your_ stubbornness, Rose got hurt!" Will retorted. Jorge paused.

"She wouldn't have had to jump in the way if you hadn't brought Flurious there," he said in a calmer voice. "Now, while you see if you can repair the damage you've caused, I'll be around." He went to the service elevator, whose doors hissed as they shut, and went upstairs into the Mansion.

"Is there a name for what's wrong with him?" Mack asked.

"He mentioned revenge," Garfield put in, sounding more reasonable than he wanted to be. "From the way he was acting, I think there's more to this than simple treasure hunting. It's personal."

"Spencer, see if you can find out anything about Mr. de Pareja's past. I'll get to work on that Shield," Mr. Hartford said, and sighed. "I just wish Rose could help—it'd go a lot faster."

All feeling fairly awkward, the Rangers dispersed. After a moment, Garfield realized that he wasn't going to do anything important—the Akra influence was barely even there. He decided to go check up on Xanthe.

She was just waking up as he arrived, in Rose and Ronny's shared quarters. He knocked over a stack of books, and heard Xanthe's breathing pause. She stirred, and he felt his way to a chair. Quietly, he slid another stack of books off it, and sat down.

"Garfield?" Xanthe asked, turning towards him.

"You okay?" The Cerulean Ranger asked, shifting a little awkwardly in his seat. He had never been good in these kinds of situations—it had been an endless source of teasing from his Gramps in the old man's last few years.

"What are you doing here?"

"Is this out of character? Should I not be in here?"

"No, Tyzonn is fairly empathic." She sat up in bed with a little groan. "We should be fine. I'm glad you're here, actually—there are a few other important details I wish to discuss with you."

"You really do have a one-track mind, don't you? No offense," Garfield added quickly. Xanthe was quiet for a moment.

"I am focused on our mission, yes. Is that a problem?"

"No, no, but considering how long we've been around each other, I barely know a thing about you. Are we ever going to just take a break from the constant stream of monsters?"

"We have to keep moving to avoid the Monitors."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't think I can keep this up—bouncing from one morpher to another to another. Honestly, I don't know how you're doing it." Garfield was playing with his Hourglass Morpher.

"I'm not tired." Xanthe let out a little laugh. "Actually, I've dreamed of doing just this since I was a child—though my fantasies usually included the Rangers of my own homeworld." Garfield grinned at the nostalgic tone.

"I know what you mean—even though my childhood was a little short on real live superheroes."

"I pity you," Xanthe said, sounding sincere.

"What, only now?" Garfield laughed incredulously, but Xanthe didn't.

"Yes. You are not the first blind warrior to fight with the Rangers, nor the first to have a tragic past. The very man you are impersonating was transformed into a monster and led to believe that his fiancee had been murdered."

"Ouch." Garfield winced. His uniform creaked a little as he shifted in his seat. There were evening birds twittering out the window, and a breeze drifted inside, tugging at a curtain. Garfield caught a blend of plant scents, the strongest pine and something lemony. This was getting awkward. "Those important details you mentioned?"

"Right. There is an unintelligent breed of Akra, white, which is used for weapons and monsters. It collapses once the controlling Akra is subdued."

"Fantastic. What's the plan for Jorge?"

"We wait until an opportune moment." Xanthe began to lie back down again.

"He gets a morpher, doesn't he? You know what," Garfield leaned forward, starting to smile, "Bet you a fiver it's Bronze. Match the Shield and all that."

"What's a fiver?" Garfield fumbled in his pocket. During his time as Flynn, he'd worked out a little system for telling which bills were which. It had cost one rather strange conversation with Scott, but it had been worth it. He held out the bill, and Xanthe gently took it. She fiddled with the crackly paper for a moment.

"What do I do with this?"

"Wait a tic; let's have that back," Garfield said, holding out his hand again. Confused, Xanthe gave the money back. "I'll just buy you something if Jorge gets Bronze. Call it a test to see how long it takes the Akra to notice us, if you want."

"Very well. I should come up with a counter-bet?" Xanthe asked. Putting the money back, Garifeld nodded. "Then Green, since that is the more regular color."

"You're on." Xanthe got out of bed, wobbled and caught Garfield by the shoulder for balance.

"I believe I'm wanted in the lab." She was a little breathless with pain.

"I'll help you." Garfield stood up, putting one arm behind Xanthe.

"Thank you."

* * *

It was early the next morning when Xanthe and Andrew Hartford emerged from the laboratory. Although the sun was barely even up, Jorge was up in the back, practicing his swordfighting moves. There was a strong chance he hadn't slept at all last night, even though he looked completely rested. He came inside as Xanthe appeared in the doorway.

"Follow me, Jorge." The Akra host looked a bit confused, but he followed Xanthe into Mr. Hartford's office. The other Rangers were trickling in, yawning and pajama-clad.

"What is it?" Mack groaned.

"First, the bad news," Mr. Hartford said. He fixed Jorge with a serious gaze. "I'm sorry, Jorge, the Shield of Achilles is beyond repair."

Jorge nearly went for his sword, letting out a startled Spanish exclamation that was probably a curse word. That seemed to rouse the others, who backed out of the way quickly. Garfield even slipped into a fighting stance.

"However," Xanthe interrupted, coming around Jorge and to the desk, "We were able to channel its powers through some of the shards."

"The reason we called all of you here is because you have a say in this," Mr. Hartford said. He reached into a drawer of his desk, and pulled out a green Overdrive Tracker. Jorge's jaw dropped—and his was nowhere near the only one. "Jorge, I know you work alone, but just consider this. We'd be glad to have someone with your experience and skills on the team."

Jorge moved closer, and took up the morpher. Turning it over in his hands, he shook his head a little.

"Okay, you surprised me." He laughed a little, and turned around. "Honestly, it's up to you guys. Your team and all that."

The Overdrive Rangers' response was immediate. Forgetting their sleepiness, they all grinned and began shaking hands and slapping shoulders, welcoming Jorge to the team. He looked as surprised as Xanthe felt at the reception.

"Okay, you win," Garfield said, turning towards Xanthe. "Now?"

"Now," the Viridian Ranger agreed.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!" The two shouted, morphing in flashes. Jorge drew back, confused, and the Overdrive Rangers defaulted to what Jorge had made them do from the beginning—watch and do nothing.

"My turn. Punjab Lasso!" Garfield exclaimed, and a blue rope with a noose on one end appeared in his hands. Pushing past the bemused Dax, he snared the Akra host around the throat and swung him around to the ground.

With a strangled noise, Jorge went for his sword, but Xanthe kicked him flat on his back. Twisting the rope, Garfield hooked it under his own foot, pinning the Akra host to the wooden floor paneling. Jorge choked and struggled, but his sword was strapped to his back, and he couldn't get it.

"Hourglass Revolver!" Xanthe exclaimed, and flipped the weapon into Tranquilizer Mode. Jorge arched his back and caught her by the wrist as she knelt, but the Aquitian pinned his wrist under her arm and injected him in the inner elbow. With a yell, Jorge tried to kick Garfield, but the Cerulean Ranger avoided it.

"Can't," he gagged.

"Can, basically just did," Garfield replied. "Good night, sweet prince." Jorge's eyes rolled back in his head, and he went limp. Standing up, Garfield turned towards the bewildered Overdrive team.

"Oi, any of you know where I can swap a tenner for some of your floppy cloth money?"

* * *

Thoughts from 2017: Man, I knock my characters unconscious a lot in this story.


	5. Chapter 5: Edenoi, June 15th, 2011

**San Angeles, June 9** **th** **, 2007**

Garfield and Xanthe wandered through the San Angeles Zoo, the latter disguised as Kelly—they didn't want to attract unnecessary attention. The sky was still overcast, but it didn't look like rain. Garfield's sunglasses covered the worst of his scarring.

"No, we do not have enough for any remotely useful weapons, please stop asking," Garfield said, shaking his head. "Look, I can tell you're holding back on something, and you won fair and square. Come on, you can tell me."

Xanthe slid him aside to avoid some pedestrians. She didn't speak for a minute, as the people moved around them. Her shoes scraped on the sidewalk, and her fingers flexed in Garfield's grip.

"Well…I have heard about an Earth delicacy called 'ice cream,' which we have tried but failed to import to Aquitar after our Rangers first visited. We lack dairy animals," Xanthe added, sounding distinctly sheepish. Garfield laughed incredulously.

"That's it? Great—any stands, vans or shops around?"

"Over there." Xanthe turned Garfield a little to his left. Grinning, and aware of the weird way the expression was twisted by his scars, Garfield went. Now that he was paying attention, he could hear the tinkly music of an ice cream van.

After a brief argument about flavors, and then a little communication trouble created by British versus American slang, Garfield and Xanthe headed over to a bench with a sprinkly chocolate cone and a Neapolitan bar, respectively.

They sat down. Xanthe turned out to be a methodical ice-cream eater, carefully going at each side as it softened. On the other hand, Garfield's cone was already getting away from him, thanks to the summer heat. The Cerulean Ranger laughed suddenly, and Xanthe paused.

"What?"

"We're two misfit, renegade superheroes, being chased by an army of powerful symbiotes through time and space, going out for a snack." His hand tipped a little too far, and he felt the ice cream fall just before he heard the splat. He looked down—well, tipped his head down. "I dropped my ice cream."

Xanthe laughed at the forlorn tone, and passed Garfield a napkin from somewhere. She'd probably grabbed it earlier, unless that pocket dimension was even more prepared than he'd thought. Sighing, Garfield took a bite out of the bottom of the cone. At least there was fudge there.

Then he heard a surge of energy, and turned around. Xanthe whirled, and her hand clamped down on his arm. The people around them began to stop, and a few made nervous noises. Xanthe's ice cream bar thumped into a garbage can beside the bench.

"There they are!" A woman shouted.

"Monitors," Xanthe said, fumbling in her pocket.

"No rest for the wicked," Garfield sighed, throwing his cone in the direction of the Akra. Drawing the Portal Pointer, Xanthe pointed it straight down, and fired. The two dropped through it just as lasers hit the bench, which exploded as though it was made of dynamite.

* * *

 **Edenoi, June 15** **th** **, 2011**

Xanthe was sitting down, fortunately, so she didn't fall. She was already morphed—it took her a few moments to identify herself as the Pink Stellar Ranger. A Zord battle was raging all around her—all of the combatants were humanoid, though she and her teammates were in the smaller and quicker Demi-Zords.

A massive black sword came down on her Zord's shoulder, and Xanthe whirled around. The Black Monster Ranger moved in, and Xanthe quickly swooped into the air to avoid his next attack. It swung very wide. She did a quick telepathic scan—and was startled by her Blue teammate's mental shields. Oh yes, this team had morpher-related powers.

Yes, Garfield was the Black Monster Ranger. Just as Xanthe was deciding how to attack her teammate without injuring him, the Monster Rangers withdrew from the fight. She felt the Akra influence, and touched down as the evil Rangers teleported away. Dust puffed up around her.

"Why were they here?" A male voice came over her radio. The other four Demi-Zords touched down, and Xanthe noticed a larger swan-shaped Zord parked near the town. Its orange hull gleamed in the twilight.

"Dunno," another man, this one Australian, replied. "We should check in town, make sure everyone's all right." The Rangers began dismounting, demorphing as they did, so Xanthe followed suit. Curly blonde hair flowed down her shoulders, over her black-and-pink uniform.

The Akra influence, this time with a distinctly melancholy tang to it, led her straight through town. As she rounded the narrow corners towards the main square, Xanthe grew aware of a regular swish-crack noise.

Finally, she saw the source. In the middle of town, an ugly Edenoite man was industriously flogging a teenager tied to a post. She couldn't see his face—his shaggy black hair covered it—but he jolted with each blow.

"Stop it!" Xanthe yelled, not unwillingly, and charged towards the man. She moved in a pink blur of super speed, throwing him into a building. Skidding to a halt, she turned back and began trying to untie the Akra. He fainted, muscles going slack, as Stellar Corps arrived.

"Let me," the Australian Red Ranger said, moving around Xanthe. With one yank, he ripped the ropes apart, and caught the teen as he collapsed. Quickly, the Orange Ranger moved in, and ran a russet-glowing hand over the Akra.

"He's lost a lot of blood," the woman reported. "Get him back to the Satellite Base."

"I'll do it," Xanthe offered, and gently picked up the Akra host. He groaned a little.

The trip up to the Satellite Base, the Stellar Rangers' space base, was quick. Xanthe was only alone with the Akra host for a few minutes before the others returned. The Orange Ranger, Elandra, had healing powers from her morpher, and immediately went to work treating the teenager. Xanthe hovered nearby, gnawing on her thumbnail, for the entire procedure.

"He should be fine with a little rest," Elandra announced, standing up. She had a little difficulty rising, as she was becoming prominently pregnant, so Xanthe helped her. "Also, he's Phaedosian like you."

The imposter Pink Ranger's jaw dropped, and she looked down at the unconscious boy in shock. He was lying on his stomach, shirtless, and stirred a little. His back was crisscrossed with old scars, and Xanthe wondered grimly whether the Akra had had to inflict those on the host themselves.

"I imagine he'll have an interesting story to tell us when he wakes up," Elandra said, and brushed past Xanthe. Slowly, the Viridian Ranger sat down in a chair beside the bed. The Akra host whimpered a little, and Xanthe put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't," he said into his pillow. "Don't—no! Mother!" He screamed, springing up so quickly that he nearly hit Xanthe. He stared around wildly, then recoiled from her with a look of terror.

"Calm down—you're safe," Xanthe said hastily. The Akra host stayed where he was, staring tensely at her. "I'm Rachel, Rachel Karen Lee. What's your name?"

"Tao," the boy said after a moment. "Where am I?"

"You're on the Satellite Base," Xanthe said soothingly. "We're the Stellar Corps Rangers." Tao hugged himself, still looking hard at Xanthe. The air smelled faintly of pine. The station's engines hummed through the deck.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Nothing!" Xanthe exclaimed. She put a hand on Tao's shoulder again, and he flinched. "When I said you were safe, I meant it. Look," she scooted her chair closer, and took Tao's hands in her own. "I don't know what was happening when we found you, but I bet it had something to do with you being different. So am I. According to a friend of mine, we're both from the planet Phaedos. You can trust me."

Tao gazed at her for a long moment. His eyes were startlingly blue—especially considering that he was apparently Asian.

"Y-you can change shape?"

"Into an eagle," Xanthe replied, surprising herself. "You?"

"A swan," Tao said.

"You have a family on Edenoi?" Tao's face fell, and Xanthe recognized a tragic backstory on the way. She was already beginning to feel sad just looking at him.

"My parents—adoptive parents, I guess—were always kind to me. They accepted me, even though everyone else in the village thought I was a freak," Tao was saying, looking down at his and Rachel's clasped hands. "Then Count Drago invaded. My father was killed defending the town, and over the next few years, I had to watch my mother be slowly poisoned by the toxic gases Drago made us mine. After the Z-Wave destroyed him, we tried to rebuild, but now the Edenoites blamed me for everything bad that had happened. They decided to make me serve the village, and they beat me for the slightest mistake."

A tear dripped down Xanthe's face and on their hands, and Tao looked up. Silently, he reached up and touched the other tear still resting on the Viridian Ranger's face. She looked self-conscious, and let go of his hand to swipe at her red eyes. An alarm began to sound, and Xanthe jumped.

"I have to go," she stammered, getting up. The sudden switch made her a little dizzy, and she caught herself on the wall. _H2O-SP in a second,_ she promised herself. _You can wait five minutes._ Tao nodded slowly, looking down at his hands. "I'll be back soon."

"Yeah, sure," Tao said.

"Tao—I promise, I'll be back just as soon as I've finished with the bad guys," Xanthe said intently, catching Tao's chin and pulling his face up to look him in the eye.

"…All right," Tao said at last. "I-I trust you, Kaelan." Xanthe paused.

"That's my Phaedosian name. How—"

"I'm sorry," Tao said quickly, recoiling in fear. "I didn't mean to!"

"No, no, I'm not upset—how'd you know?" Xanthe asked. She'd always wondered about this particular recurring Akra trait—did they genuinely have psychic powers, or were they just revealing information they'd already known? Given their telepathy, both options were likely, but the captured Akra had always been very tight-lipped about it.

"I didn't. Sometimes I just…feel things." The alarm kept blaring. With an irritated glance at the door, Xanthe began backing out.

"We've got a lot to talk about when this is over, Tao of Phaedos." She darted away.

* * *

Marco Smith, White Monster Ranger, monitored the base's computer. The Hexagram was fully equipped with surveillance equipment, since none of the Rangers were volunteers or under mind control. Despite what Ivan Ooze said, the man didn't trust evil spells. The morphological being, currently confined to Marco's body for complicated reasons, was sulking.

At the moment, Marco was alternately monitoring his prisoner, Tao, and the Rangers he'd sent to collect Tao's former owner. The Edenoite had offered to provide an entire new set of Zords from a hidden cache he'd found, probably meant for the Masked Rider. The Red Ranger was negotiating.

In the holding cells downstairs, the Black Monster Ranger was guarding Tao. Like the Phaedosian, the Black Ranger was an Asian teenager, though a bit younger. He'd taken his helmet off, and was leaning against a wall. Tao sat on a metal block in one of the barred cells.

"Why me?" The prisoner asked at last. "What do you want with me? I'm nobody."

"It's not us who want you—it's the man you escaped from," the Black Ranger said. Tao froze, eyes widening in fear. "He made a deal with us."

"No!" Tao cried, and shook the bars. The Black Ranger glanced over at him briefly, gave a little shrug, and looked back. "You can't—do you know what he's like? Please," Tao pressed himself against the bars, reached through and touched the Ranger's shoulder, "Joey."

The Ranger stiffened. "How do you know my name?"

"I don't know," Tao replied. His voice shook just enough to make him sound vulnerable, and a single tear ran down his face. "Just like I don't know what being possessed by Weeping Angels feels like." Ivan Ooze was roused from his sulking by that, and moved to the front of Marco's mind. The White Ranger himself frowned. "Please help me."

That was when the Red Ranger teleported in with the Edenoite. The larger man looked very pleased. Turning, Marco deactivated the computer, and silently activated the elevator. He wondered how Tao had known about Joey's little run-in with the Weeping Angels—those monsters had never so much as touched Edenoi.

They entered the cell block, sloshing through cold ankle-deep water that had leaked in—the Hexagram was under a lake—and Joey whirled around. Seeing his former tormentor, Tao shrank back to the opposite end of the cell. The Edenoite stopped and let out a mocking laugh.

"Hello, Tao. Miss me?"

Joey looked from Tao to the Edenoite and back. The captive teenager stood up, and drew in a slow breath.

"Fine, then. But I'll run away again. And again, and again, and again, until you'll have to kill me. I am never going to be yours."

"Spare me the drama," the Edenoite replied, and unhooked a set of jingling manacles from his belt.

That was when Joey decked the man with a tornado kick, ripped the laser pistol off his belt and shot Marco in the chest, demorphing him. As Marco crumpled, Joey seized the keys from a wall hook and returned to Tao, unlocking the door.

"What?" Tao exclaimed idiotically, as the Black Ranger darted in and seized him by the elbow. Marco's ribcage throbbed, and he tried to catch his breath. That little—he should have known better; the Angels had probably turned Joey's mind a while ago. Ivan Ooze growled, and quickly shot a tendril out under Marco's fingernails into the wall. He'd find an access port.

"You're a Phaedosian. Change shape and get out of here."

"What about you?" Ivan found the main system, and quickly began the morpher deactivation sequence.

"Just go!" Joey snapped, giving him a shove. Tao transformed with a burst of energy, and flapped up into the rafters in swan form. As he did, Joey's morph vanished, and he turned around. Marco rose, catching himself on the wall.

"You are a dead fool, Joey Chan. You know you won't escape me," Marco panted. "I can teleport you as long as you have your morpher, and I can destroy you if I have it anyway."

"I know," Joey said. He smiled mirthlessly, and drawing his sword, flipped it around and set the hilt against the floor. For a moment, Marco thought he was going to throw himself on the weapon, but then he stopped. "Actually, you know what? Forget your morpher, I'm using my own." He yanked off the silvery belt buckle, and drew out a Gyro Morpher. "Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

 _Garfield stands before a huge, dripping water clock. The hourglass in his hand glows blue, and the sand explodes around him in a blue storm. Swirling wildly, it forms his Ranger suit._

" _Cerulean Hourglass Ranger!"_

"What?" Marco exclaimed, as Tao let out a startled squawk. Garfield drew his Punjab Lasso, and hurled it in the direction of the bird. He caught it by the neck, drawing a choked noise from it, and jerked it to the floor. Tao began to flap wildly as he hit the floor, showering Garfield with rancid water. Running forward, Garfield caught the Akra by one leg and pinned the rope beneath his elbow, holding the bird down. Marco, was completely flabbergasted, but quickly decided that he'd let the stranger take out Tao for him.

"Change back!" Garfield yelled. Tao tried to bite him instead, but the swan bill wasn't nearly tough enough to get through the Ranger suit. "Okay, don't. Hourglass Revolver!" He flipped it into Trank Mode one-handed, and dug the needle into the bird's feathery body. As the fight went out of the swan, Marco decided to make his move.

"Who are you, how did you get in here, and where is Joey?" He asked, coming forward. Garfield's head turned towards him, and he gathered the transforming Tao in his arms.

"Garfield Brooks, Cerulean Hourglass Ranger, by Portal Pointer, and I'm not actually sure, but he'll be back as soon as I take care of Tao. I'm not getting involved in your Ranger fight, I just want to use your teleported, and then I'll be out of your hair. Okay?" The stranger had a British accent like Marco's.

" _Ivan?"_ Marco asked telepathically. This stranger didn't seem hostile.

" _If he's leaving_ and _taking that brat, don't stop him!"_ Marco nodded.

"This way."


	6. Chapter 6: Briarwood, April 10th, 2006

**Briarwood, April 10th, 2006**

Gerard materialized in the Underworld with a swirl of mist, and glanced around. His red eyes glinted in the candlelight as he focused on Necrolai and a newly vampiric Vida. The vampire queen was pacing around her enspelled Ranger, speechifying creepily. With a mirthless smirk, Gerard strolled forward, his long black coat rustling as he moved.

"Gerard! I haven't seen you in centuries," Necrolai purred, turning away from Vida and facing the raven-haired vampire. He took her proffered hand and kissed it, then rose gracefully and circled the Pink Ranger. Looking her up and down, a pang he hadn't felt in centuries shot through Gerard: she was the exact image of his long-lost Yolanda. By the glee radiating from Necrolai, she knew it too.

"Who is this?" Gerard asked Necrolai, not looking away from Vida.

"The Pink Mystic Force Ranger," Necrolai replied smugly. "Now fully under my control."

"Interesting," Gerard said, and sniffed a pink-dyed strand of Vida's hair. Then the Akra host seized her by the shoulders and bit her in the side of the neck. She shrieked and clawed at him, but the older vampire was stronger. He could taste Necrolai's venom, and quickly sucked it out of the wound, wincing at how bitter it was.

Necrolai stood dumbly by as Gerard finally released Vida, who fell to her hands and knees, panting. She felt around her neck, but found no bite marks. Gerard backed up, smirking, as the Pink Ranger looked around with normal eyes again.

"What was that?" Vida demanded. Necrolai finally woke up.

"You—she's human again!" The vampire queen cried. Vida scrambled to her feet and dropped into a fighting stance.

"I know. In all these years, you seem to have forgotten one important fact about me, Necrolai," Gerard said, and bared his teeth at her.

"What?" Necrolai demanded.

"I loathe you," Gerard replied, and seizing Vida by an elbow, he transformed into mist and shot out of the Underworld. Necrolai howled in protest, but conveniently didn't actually do anything.

The pair materialized in Rootcore, and Vida's gathered teammates recoiled in surprise. Chip quickly pulled Vida away from the vampire. The others dropped into fighting stances, but Gerard only rolled his eyes. These were the wizards giving Necrolai so much trouble? No wonder she wanted his help.

"Hey, he rescued me!" Vida protested. Madison hurried over to her sister.

"How did you get in here?" Nick demanded.

"You must be the Red Ranger—they're always so pushy," Gerard drawled.

"I know you," Udonna said, looking hard at the vampire. "Gerard Alucard Dracula Angel Spike Way." Grinning, the vampire did a sweeping bow.

"At your service," he said.

"Did I ask?"

"Stop goofing off and tell us what you want!" Xander snapped at the vampire.

"Udonna, Vida isn't a vampire anymore," Madison interrupted. Gerard quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Get out," Nick ordered.

"That's gratitude for you," the vampire muttered. Chip brandished garlic at him. "Oh, grow up. I'm beyond that." Gerard turned and stalked out the door. He paused in the doorway, and glanced back at Vida. She was still staring at him in confusion. Giving the Pink Ranger a small nod, the vampire stepped outside.

The woods were all but empty, which suited the vampire. Faintly, he could hear explosions from the distant city, but Gerard paid them no heed. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Although he'd hidden it, Vida's appearance had shaken him. Everything about her—her voice, her mannerisms—matched Yolanda's.

" _You refuse me again, Gerard?" Necrolai demanded. Aiming his rapier at her throat, the younger vampire glared._

" _What part of 'no, I will not become your mate' do you not understand, hag?" He snapped._

" _I think you may want to reconsider that,"the vampire queen said, and gestured behind Gerard. Turning, he looked straight at a young female vampire chained to a pillar. She looked like a longer-haired version of Vida in a white nightgown, for some reason._

" _Yolanda?" Gerard asked. Then he whirled on Necrolai. "What's your game?"_

" _Simple. Join me, and I will spare her. Refuse again, and my Hidiacs will simply throw that lever," she pointed to a wooden wheel on one wall, "and let in the rising sun."_

" _Don't!" Yolanda cried, struggling in vain. Shoulders slumping, Gerard turned towards Necrolai, flipped his sword around, and handed it to her hilt-first._

" _Well played, madam," he said heavily. "I surrender."_

" _Thank you," Necrolai purred. Then she snapped her fingers. "I'll just get rid of my rival, then!"_

" _No!" Gerard screamed, whirling as the Hidiacs turned the lever. Necrolai seized him by the arms and held him back. A skylight opened, letting in a beam of bright sunlight. It struck Yolanda, and she burst into flames. Necrolai cackled in Gerard's ear_ _like a cartoon villain._

Then, back in the real world, Necrolai appeared in front of Gerard. He stopped up short and glowered at the vampire queen. What was she doing here?

"My offer from two hundred years ago still stands," Necrolai said.

"And so does my response: go away before I tear your head off," Gerard replied, turning away. "I don't trust you as far as I could throw you."

"Things have changed. I saw the way you were looking at the Pink Ranger," Necrolai said smugly. Gerard whirled around, and the vampire queen laughed.

"What does that have to do with anything?" He snapped. But he knew—he could see it in her iridescent red eyes.

"She's my prisoner, for one thing, and if you join me, I won't destroy her with the others," Necrolai replied. "Who knows, maybe I'll let you have her." Laughing, the vampire queen summoned dark magic and vanished into the Underworld.

"We'll see," Gerard murmured, and transforming into mist, he vanished into the Underworld. The trip was quick, and he materialized in a wide stone chamber. Necrolai was waiting for him, and she gestured behind him. Turning, Gerard saw the Mystic Force Rangers, Udonna included, trapped inside a pulsing energy field. A few Hidiacs wandered aimlessly around the cavern.

"I knew it!" Nick yelled, spotting Gerard and pointing accusingly at him. "You did something to our powers when you showed up so Necrolai could defeat us!"

"If only," Necrolai sighed. "Then I wouldn't have to do this." She gestured, and the Rangers were nearly blinded as a wide ray of sunlight poured down on them. Gerard sprang back instinctively, and Necrolai laughed.

"You've become powerful with age, Gerard, but in order to get any sunlight down here, we have to multiply its strength tenfold. I'd stay away from that shield if I were you." And then the vampire queen turned and stalked away. Gerard looked at the Rangers silently, locking gazes with Vida. She didn't look scared, only rather confused. And something else…could she remember her past life?

Gerard took a deep breath, and stepped over the line into the sunlight. Immediately he doubled over with a cry of pain, clutching at his head. Smoke began to curl up from his body, but Gerard forced himself back up and broke into a staggering run.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!" Nick and Vida cried in one voice. Gerard stumbled to a halt, falling down. Toppled Hourglass? No, no, no—they would _not_ ruin this! Why couldn't they even let him die the way he wanted?

Head snapping up, Gerard's eyes blazed yellow, and he sprang to his feet. His burns turned yellow and vanished with a crackle as he rolled his neck around. The Akra became visible, wrapping its tendrils more tightly around Gerard's visible body. He staggered a little, and glared at the duo. They stopped up short, dismayed.

"You," he growled. "Using the same strategy _again_? Did you think no one was watching?"

"Punjab Lasso!" Garfield shouted, and charged the Akra host. At the very last second, Gerard transformed into mist, letting Garfield run right through him. Then he changed back and caught the Ranger by the arms. With a vicious twist, Gerard forced the Punjab Lasso out of Garfield's grasp, seized him by the throat and held him up in the air.

"Neural Net!" Gerard whirled around, using Garfield as a shield, and the net wrapped around him. Letting go, the Akra grinned fiercely as the net zapped Garfield. He demorphed, stunned, and Xanthe drew her Hourglass Revolver.

Gerard transformed into mist again and blew towards Xanthe as she fired a gas pellet at him. Swirling through the gas, he solidified and caught her by the wrists. Twisting her arms behind her back, Gerard kicked the Aquitian in the stomach, and she doubled over. A knee to the head, and her helmet fell off and bounced away.

On the edges of his mind, Gerard sensed a presence, and shook his head. She was really trying that attack? He lashed out, and Xanthe jerked in his grip. Catching her head between his hands, Gerard forced Xanthe to her knees, and looked her in the eye.

"Seriously? A cheap mind trick? Too bad telepathy works both ways, fishy," Gerard growled. He reached in, and began sorting through Xanthe's memories. As she screamed and tried to twist free, the Akra started transmitting anything that looked useful to the Monitors. Weapons, tactics, previous missions, even personal memories.

It only took a second, then the Monitors took over. Letting go of Xanthe, Gerard let her crumple to the floor. His hands were covered in maroon blood, and he grimaced in disgust. Quickly, he wiped his hands off on her uniform.

"What are you?" Chip demanded, startling Gerard. Only then did the Akra host notice the looks of varying horror and revulsion the Mystic Rangers were giving him. His expression darkened, and he stood up.

"Guys, leave this one to me," Xander said, moving to the front of the group. Somehow, the Ranger managed to smile amiably at the yellow-veined vampire. "Hi, Xander Bly. Whatever the problem is here, I'm sure we can just talk this one out." He winked at Gerard.

The Akra host faltered. This was the way Xander was supposed to act. He could work with this. He looked from the Mystic Rangers to Toppled Hourglass. If he could talk the Rangers into believing him—and of course he could—then they'd help take care of the pair themselves. Slowly, the Akra tendrils began to fade.

"Very well," he said, facing the Mystic Rangers. Everyone looked surprised by this response, but Xander quickly covered it up.

"Ah, this might be easier if there wasn't a chance of Necrolai interrupting us," Xander added. Rolling his eyes, Gerard snapped his fingers. Everyone transformed into mist and shot up through the roof.

They materialized back in Rootcore, startling Clare into dropping a stack of spell books. The Mystic Rangers exchanged glances, and quickly drew their morphers.

"Vivacium Erectu!" Chip shouted. Gerard didn't even have time to realize what was happening.

* * *

Xanthe came awake slowly. Her head throbbed dully, and her memories were a tangled mess. She tried to figure out what had happened, but it hurt too much. With a groan, she put one hand to her head, and found a cold, wet cloth.

"You're awake?" A woman asked. Xanthe opened her eyes, and focused on the redhead. She began trying to sort through names. It hurt too much, so she stopped. She couldn't tell whether there was a lot of thumping going outside, or just her head.

"What happened?" Xanthe asked instead. She twisted around, and saw Garfield crouching on the floor nearby. He was just putting the lid on a Containment Jar, which held a rather wriggly yellow Akra. Beside him lay Gerard, face-down and shirtless, on a bench. His back was rather bloody.

"How'd I do?" The Cerulean Ranger asked, standing up. "I know, bit of a mess, but whatever the guy did when he went crazy made it tricky." Xanthe blinked. Then she tried to sit up, but Udonna—that was the name!—stopped her.

"You are not well, Xanthe. Rest."

"The Monitors," Xanthe protested, trying to push Udonna's hands away.

"The Mystic Rangers are casting protective spells to keep them away," Udonna replied firmly.

"They—what?" Xanthe stammered. But she did lie down again. Her hands were shaking—she needed her H2O-SP. Clumsily, she fumbled for her pocket dimension, but again Udonna stopped her.

"I was not suggesting rest, Xanthe, I was ordering it."

"I'm dehydrated," Xanthe protested. Her voice was wobbly. Udonna raised her eyebrows, and gestured. With a shudder, Xanthe felt her headache ease a little, and the room came fully into focus. At last, she lay back. The Aquitian's hands were still shaking as she closed her eyes again.


	7. Chapter 7: Silver Hills, June 20th, 2001

**Briarwood, April 11** **th** **, 2006**

Xanthe lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling of Rootcore. Garfield and Gerard were both asleep nearby, and she wasn't sure where Udonna and Clare had gone. The only light came from the misty crystal ball in the middle of the room. It was faint and bluish.

" _Concentrate," Xanthe's mother said, shaping the child's hands into the correct posture. They sat in an empty classroom with white walls and blue furnishings._

" _What are you doing? Police!" A woman screamed, as Xanthe looked around at her. The stranger was clad in ragged Earth clothing, and spoke in a human accent, but wore the face of Delphine, White Aquitian Ranger. Blood ran down Xanthe's chin and from the wounds in the throat of the old man in her arms. No, Gerard's chin, Gerard's arms. Her arms? She tasted human blood in her mouth: it had a coppery tang._

" _Portal pointer," the dead man said suddenly. The little device appeared over his head and began spinning wildly, disassembling itself before Xanthe's eyes. Each piece glowed, and a string of glowing numbers and formulas appeared in the air beside it._

Garfield stirred and rolled over, mumbling something that sounded like "Artemis, Artemis." Xanthe ignored him, and tried to focus on how that first memory was supposed to go.

" _Parry, guard, thrust," a man in fencing gear said, as Xanthe—Gerard?—raised a rapier. She was back on Aquitar, but sunlight poured in the windows. Then the man transformed into a female White Ranger whose uniform was accented with black, and pulled a katana out from behind her back. Her cape fluttered with the movement._

"No!" Xanthe exclaimed in the real world. She sat up, clutching her head, and gave it an angry shake. "No, enough of this vampire nonsense! I am not Gerard—even _Gerard_ is not Gerard! No, that makes no sense…"

An audible crack of energy interrupted Xanthe, and she looked around to see three people materialize in the room. Their white uniforms alarmed her for a moment, but then she recognized the Time Force sigils on their backs. One turned and hurried over to her, turning out to be an Asian man in his twenties.

"Hourglass Viridian?" He asked. Xanthe nodded. "Colonel Lawrence Harvey, Time Force. You're not usually around when we get here." Xanthe just shook her head slowly.

The other two, one of whom was a woman, were working on Gerard. The man carefully waved a blue-glowing object across the host's back, and the wounds began to fade. His companion collected the Containment Jar.

"Looks like another Berserk," the man called over his shoulder.

"Pardon?" Xanthe asked.

"We've been doing pretty much all of the pick-ups," Harvey said. "Lately the Akra have started going crazy when you guys show up—practically draining the host's life force to fight harder. If we're not fast enough, they both die."

"Will he be all right?" Xanthe asked, looking past Harvey as his friends collected the host.

"Looks like," the man called back. Then a wristwatch-like device on his arm began beeping, flashing red.

"Monitors," Harvey muttered. He turned back to Xanthe. "Quick version: Time Force has been infiltrated, and we're nearly the only ones left fixing timelines. The longer we're around each other, the more detectable we are, plus you need to be out of the timeline for us to fix it, so let's keep meetings to a minimum, okay?"

"Understood," Xanthe said. "It's that bad?"

"Commander Drake's completely under their control. Yeah, I'd say it's pretty bad," Harvey replied grimly. He joined his fellow officers, and they vanished with another crack. Xanthe stayed where she was for a long minute. The silence was stifling.

Slowly, Xanthe lay back down, and shut her eyes. Might as well rest while she could—even with the Mystic Rangers' magic, the Monitors would find them soon. The last thing that entered her mind before she drifted off was that unicorn Ranger. Xanthe shivered a little.

* * *

 **Silver Hills, June 20** **th** **, 2001**

Garfield strode through the training grounds of the Silver Guardians alongside Mr. Collins. He'd become Eric this time—and for once, he knew who the guy actually was. Xanthe had given him a quick run-through of Time Force to help him understand the previous night's escapade better.

"Maddox, come here," Mr. Collins called. Getting up off the mat, where she'd pinned a senior Silver Guardian with one leg, a suspicious young woman headed to them. Akra influence told Garfield that the girl was startlingly pretty, of course. She stopped and saluted.

"You're Dani Maddox?" Garfield asked incredulously. Dani began to scowl.

"Eric, Dani has managed to defeat every opponent we've put against her," Mr. Collins said. "Which is why I'm assigning her to you as a partner."

"What?" Both Garfield and Dani exclaimed at once. Mr. Collins decided to leave then and there, looking pleased with himself. Silently, Garfield and Dani eyed each other. He could tell she was seething by her slow, hissing breaths.

"What's the matter?" Dani snapped. "You heard the man; I'm more than qualified for this job."

"Maybe you've got a few moves, but you're hardly ready for monster duty."

"Want to test that theory?" Dani asked, with an audible smirk. In answer, Garfield dropped into a fighting stance, and the pair began to circle. The rest of the sparring Silver Guardians cleared the area. Garfield charged—only for Dani to sidestep so he missed completely. Springing up and turning, the Cerulean Ranger frowned in (not very) surprised dismay, while Dani let out a mocking laugh.

Garfield charged again, and this time Dani chose to duck under his kick. She caught him by the ankle and flipped him flat onto his back, slamming the side of her hand into the joint of his neck with a loud "Hah!" Dani stood up and held out a hand to her fallen opponent.

"Don't worry," Dani said, pulling Garfield to his feet, "You're not the first guy to get beaten by a girl. I've been training since I could walk."

"I get it," Garfield said with a laugh. He already had the slightly dopey look that most Obligatory Love Interests got eventually. Dani kept holding onto his hand for a long minute, and they just looked at each other.

Then Garfield's headset went off, and the pair started and released each other. In his ear, someone reported a monster attack downtown.

"Should I—" Dani began, but Garfield was already starting away.

"No—wait here with the other recruits," he called. Even though the man couldn't see Dani's face, he knew exactly what expression was crossing it, and shook his head.

" _Wait here_?" Dani protested, but Garfield was already in his car. Fortunately, someone with a lower rank was driving, and they quickly zoomed off. As they went, Garfield wondered how successful Dani's upcoming fight was going to be.

They were soon greeted by the sounds of fighting—yells, clanging weapons, and explosions. Garfield could smell smoke. The cars screeched to a halt, and the Silver Guardians piled out of the vehicles. They took up their positions, and one man came up beside Garfield.

"We've fought this mutant before, sir," he said. "Fatcatfish, I think his name is. We can handle this." Garfield winced as a Ranger, Red he thought, was thrown into a pile of crates. They collapsed around him.

"I'll handle this one," he said, and raised his left arm. Garfield had to admit, despite the fact that he was pretty much guaranteed to lose, he enjoyed using all the different morphers. "Quantum Power!"

Crimson light coalesced around Garfield, and Eric's Quantum Defender materialized in Garfield's grip. He charged forward, firing a volley of shots in the mutant's direction. Hearing the monster howl in pain, Garfield adjusted his aim a little. But then it stopped, and laughed.

"Did you really think that would work, Quantum Ranger?" Garfield heard Fatcatfish prime his weapon, and then a cluster of bullets slammed into his chest. He rolled into a building with a burst of fire, and crumpled, demorphing, to the pavement. He distinctly felt something in his chest give way, followed by a burst of pain that took his breath away. What was that thing, a Gatling gun?

The mutant advanced on the Ranger, caught him by the shoulders and slammed him into a wall. Just as Fatcatfish raised his gun to Garfield's head, a motorcycle engine revved towards them, and new lasers tore down the mutant's back. It swung around with a roar, dropping Garfield. He tried to catch himself, slipped and fell on his side with a grunt.

There was a whoosh, and a thump as Danielle slammed feet-first into Fatcatfish. It stumbled back, sparking, and Danielle landed on one knee. She stood up, and leveled her gun at the monster.

"What?" Wes exclaimed, pulling himself to his feet.

"Dani?" Garfield yelped in surprise. Dani twirled her gun and holstered it, her uniform rustling.

"Does the little girl think she can defeat me?" Fatcatfish bellowed, suddenly confident.

"No—the 'little girl' thinks she can destroy you without breaking a sweat," Dani retorted. "Time for Time Force!" Garfield sensed the silvery flash, and Dani struck a combat stance. He struggled out of the way, and slumped against a wall, panting. Each breath felt like being stabbed.

"Another one? Aluminum foil won't save you," Fatcatfish rumbled.

"You're right. Chrono Saber!" Giving the weapons an experimental twirl, Dani charged in and began hacking at the monster. One blow and the front half of his gun clanged to the ground, smoking noxiously.

"Woah!" Trip exclaimed.

"She's got some moves!" Katie added.

"Yeah, maybe—for a girl," Lucas said. Dani froze.

"What did you call me?" Fatcatfish tried to knock her down, but without even looking, Dani ran him through with a Chrono Saber. He exploded in a burst of fire and smoke, and while the other Rangers all ducked with shouts, Dani didn't flinch.

"Not bad," Wes said, coming forward. Dani swatted his hand away with a Chrono Saber and held the weapon to his throat, provoking a startled noise.

"Not bad? I just saved your lives—the least you could do is say thanks!" Dani snapped.

"Hey, calm down!" Wes exclaimed, startled. Dani shoved past him, and tossing her Chrono Sabers away, she caught Lucas by the shoulder.

"Say that again to my face!" She growled.

"You, meaning you, the Silver Ranger, are not bad, meaning okay," Lucas began, only for Dani to swing around and throw him over her shoulder in a judo hold. He hit the pavement and didn't get back up.

"Hey, you can't do that!" Trip protested. Dani responded by whirling and tornado-kicking the Green Ranger right in the face. Garfield winced, and tried to get up. No, no, it hurt too much. He clutched his side.

"What's wrong with you?" Wes demanded. He ducked another attack by the Silver Ranger, only for her to karate-chop him in the joint of the neck, flattening him to the pavement.

"Right on!" Jen laughed, and high-fived the Silver Ranger.

"No, enough is enough," Katie said, and there was a faint jingle. "Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

"Might as well try," Garfield muttered, pulling his own morpher out. "Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

 _Garfield stands before a huge, dripping water clock. The hourglass in his hand glows blue, and the sand explodes around him in a blue storm. Swirling wildly, it forms his Ranger suit._

" _Cerulean Hourglass Ranger!"_

Garfield felt better almost immediately—not whole, but he could fight now. He sprang to his feet, and summoned his Hourglass Revolver. Xanthe was moving slowly on the far side of the Akra host.

"Who are you?" Dani demanded.

"A man who isn't Eric. That seems to be enough for you," Garfield replied lightly. "Or do you need me to make some jab at your gender or occupation before you beat me up?"

True to form, Dani charged, drawing her silver Quantum Defender and opening fire. Garfield dropped and somersaulted away from the blasts, and fired a few knockout pellets at the Akra. As Dani flipped towards him, Xanthe came up from behind.

"Neural Net!" The weapon whistled through the air. Dani's footsteps stumbled to a halt, and she yelped as the electrodes zapped her. Hearing the Akra crumple, Garfield scrambled forward, nearly butting heads with Xanthe.

"What are you doing?" Jen cried, as Garfield flipped his Hourglass Revolver into Trank Mode. Fortunately for the Hourglass Rangers, both Time Force Rangers were still under the Akra's spell, and couldn't have helped her even if they'd wanted to. Their three male teammates sat up, and watched the spectacle with confusion.

"Saving you," Garfield called, as Dani struggled feebly. She kneed Garfield in the gut, and the Cerulean Ranger clutched at his side with a noise of pain. Something was definitely wrong in the chest area. Plucking the Hourglass Revolver out of Garfield's hands, Xanthe stabbed the Akra host in the neck with it.

"Ow! What was that?" Dani screamed. She demorphed and clutched at the side of her neck. Hands shaking, she reached for her morpher, and pressed a button on the underside. "You'll never…get away with…"

Then Dani's eyes rolled back in her head, and she went limp. Without a word, Xanthe pulled out her pocket dimension and passed it to Garfield. As he got the Containment Jar, Xanthe rolled the Akra host over and ripped the back of her uniform open, just enough to expose the Akra.

"What just happened?" Wes asked blurrily.

"Soon, nothing," Xanthe replied, as she and Garfield began peeling the Akra off Dani's back. After a moment, Jen went to help her teammates up. Lucas was still muttering darkly as Garfield and Xanthe dumped the Akra into the jar and sealed it.

"We've got everything?" Garfield asked, turning to Xanthe. He was still a little breathless. "Because honestly, I hurt. A lot."

"This is Time Force. Given what we've learned, we are at the most risk in this continuum," Xanthe replied, firing a new portal into existence. With a groan, Garfield got up and followed her through it.


	8. Chapter 8: Angel Grove, Nov 10, 1993

**Angel Grove, November 10th, 1993**

Xanthe staggered a little as she landed, and caught herself on a tree trunk. Her first thought was H2O-SP, but she shook her head and evaluated her surroundings. She was an Asian human now and standing in a sunny park. A group of teenage boys played football nearby.

"Trini? Are you okay?" Tommy's voice made Xanthe jump. She looked up, and shook her head at the sight of the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Of course, always them. She'd been here long enough to start wishing she could take a boy's place, just to switch things up. Jason, Tommy and Zack had paused in the middle of the football game, since Tommy had the ball. Billy was tinkering with something at a picnic table nearby, and Kimberly stood beside Xanthe, watching.

"Fine, just slipped a little," Xanthe replied.

"You don't look good," Tommy added, looking her up and down.

"Sorry?"

"What?" Tommy looked confused. "I didn't say anything."

"You did," Xanthe replied, but Tommy shook his head.

"I think you heard wrong, Trini," Kimberly added. Xanthe looked around at her, then back at Tommy. Both teenagers looked a little annoyed by Xanthe's insistence. Someone yelled from the group of teens, and Tommy ran back into the group.

"Curtis, go long!" He yelled, and threw the ball. His cousin lunged and caught it, and Xanthe sat down beside Billy. He didn't seem to have even noticed the conversation, he was so wrapped up in his work. Despite being a chemist rather than an inventor, Xanthe was familiar with Ranger tech, and she busied herself trying to remember what each piece did.

"If I can just get this circuit integrated," the Blue Ranger said, squinting at the machinery.

"Perhaps if you reroute these cables," Xanthe suggested, pointing. Startled, Billy looked over at her, then back at the machine.

"Perhaps what?"

"The circuit. If you reroute the cables through these dampeners, it won't overload," Xanthe replied. Billy stared at her for a moment.

"How did you know I was having trouble with this circuit?"

"Because you said so."

"No, I don't believe I did. Kim?"

"I didn't hear a thing," the Pink Ranger said, shaking her head. "You're sure you're all right, Trini?" Then it hit Xanthe. She hadn't actually seen either Ranger's lips move as he spoke—she must have read his mind.

"F-fine." She sat back, and stared at nothing, trying to think. Xanthe hadn't used involuntary telepathy since she was a child, just learning to control her powers. At least, she thought so—her childhood was still very difficult to remember. It was hard to focus—and for a second, Xanthe thought she saw that unicorn Ranger standing across the field. With a shake of her head, Xanthe looked again. No Ranger. Then a burst of energy distracted the Aquitian, and she sprang up.

A freak bolt of lightning had struck the football in midair, and it transformed into a monster. Its limbs were short and pudgy, and its face cartoonishly bulbous. It laughed as the kids scattered. Exchanging alarmed glances, the Rangers ran for the nearest building.

"You know, just once, I'd like to have a day off without a monster showing up," Zack said, as they skidded to a halt on the far side of the building, out of sight.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Jason exclaimed. As they went for their morphers, Xanthe nearly dropped hers: she was still wobbly. She wasn't going to fight very well at all in this shape. Hopefully, the Akra would want the Rangers to stay out of the fight so it could show off.

"Dragonzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

But as they ran back to the monster, they heard a yell. Zack's cousin Curtis stood directly in front of the monster, holding a rock. As the Rangers watched, the boy threw the stone, hitting the monster in the eye.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" Curtis cried. The rock actually drew sparks, and the monster staggered back with a yell, clutching its eye.

"Ow! What was that for? You're not playing fair! Putties!" A cluster of foot soldiers materialized around the monster, and several headed for Curtis. Glaring, the teenager backed up for room, and then started fighting the monsters.

"Curtis?" Zack said incredulously. "Where did he learn those moves?"

"You _are_ his cousin," Kimberly reminded him.

"Do you think we should get involved? This is our job, after all," Xanthe asked. The Rangers didn't even reply. No wonder—poor guys were probably getting used to watching Akra beat up monsters.

Finally, the monster recovered, and threw a ball of energy into Curtis, as he tackled a Putty. The foot soldier exploded, and Curtis was thrown across the field. Only now did the Rangers rouse themselves, shouting angrily.

"Curtis!" All six Rangers exclaimed, and charged forward. Xanthe broke away from the group and ran over to Curtis. The teen wasn't moving. Akra influence suddenly told Xanthe that she was falling for this boy. Of course. She sighed, gathering the teen in her arms.

"You are going to _pay_ for that one!" Zack shouted.

"Alpha, teleport me to Ernie's," Xanthe said into her communicator watch. She wondered why they were going there—most Akra were at least smart enough to go to the Command Center, with its high-tech medical equipment. They teleported away.

* * *

Garfield, now Ernie, was a little startled by the energy burst, and hurried towards it. His ribs still throbbed dully, but at least this new body had plenty of padding. The stranger was a breathless girl, clad in spandex, so probably a Power Ranger. Xanthe?

"Ernie," she said, as he helped her lay the person she was carrying down on a padded bench. The unconscious teen groaned, and Garfield felt a wave of compassion for the Akra—Curtis, apparently. He rolled his eyes a little.

"What happened to him, Trini?" Garfield asked, putting a hand on Curtis's head. He was bleeding, and he stirred a little at the touch. Quickly, Garfield headed behind the counter. Lo and behold, there was a first aid kit under the counter. Eh, made sense for something like that to be pretty handy.

"He tried to take on a monster by himself," Trini said. Garfield fumbled for the kit as he walked.

"Don't worry about him, I can take care of this—you can go help your friends."

"Right." The Yellow Ranger ran. Reaching Curtis's side, Garfield began bandaging his head, when he felt the Akra host stir. The boy's hand clamped down on his wrist.

"Curtis?" Garfield asked.

"Garfield Brooks." The teen's voice was flat. Garfield stiffened. "Relax, we just want to talk."

"Talking is good," Garfield said slowly. "So talk."

"We admit, we underestimated you. You've come a long way since we found you in the desert. We'd like to make you an offer."

Garfield snorted, but laughing hurt, and he winced. He didn't touch his side; if Curtis was faking, he didn't want to give away any possible weaknesses. Curtis didn't react.

"We're serious. Hand over your morpher, and we'll restore your sight and your appearance, and leave you in the timeline of your choice. No Akra involvement after that point, unless you want it. That's all."

"Seriously?" Garfield retorted. "Because I have so many reasons to trust you people—and why are you talking in plural now?"

"Because this is the Queen speaking through Curtis. There are two of us, not counting the Monitors with us. And you do not have to answer immediately—we know what a large decision this is. To show our goodwill," Curtis's hand brushed Garfield's side, and he planted his hand there. A sudden pain made Garfield yelp, and a cold feeling shot through his flesh. The pain in his ribs got worse and worse, and then it was gone.

Then Curtis flopped back on the bench. His breathing slowed to normal. For a minute, Garfield wondered if that had really happened. His side didn't hurt anymore. But then he heard running footsteps, and got back to bandaging Curtis's head.

"Curtis! Is he okay, Ernie?" It was Trini again, along with a gaggle of other teenagers. Probably this year's Rangers. They gathered around the ersatz sickbed, as Garfield finished his work.

"He hasn't woken up yet," Garfield replied, standing up. "I'm calling an ambulance, just in case."

"This isn't fair. Why Curtis, of all people?" Kimberly muttered.

"I just don't know what made him snap. I've never seen him get that mad before," Zack said. Someone sat down—probably Trini—and the other Rangers moved away to talk quietly. Garfield wandered closer to Trini. He suspected it was Xanthe, and realized that some kind of sign to find each other might be a good idea.

Speak of the devil, a hand caught him by the elbow as he put away the first aid kit. Trini leaned forward, and hissed in his ear.

"Garfield?"

"Present."

"We wait till after he wakes up. I want to be absolutely sure."

"You can't tell?"

"I'm having difficulty, yes." Xanthe sounded a bit strained. Hearing sirens in the distance, Garfield perked up, and headed towards the source of the noise. Xanthe went with him, and carefully guided him around the obstacles.

"I still can't believe this is happening," Zack muttered, shaking his head. It had been several days since the fight, and Curtis was still in a coma. One or more of the Rangers was always in the hospital with him, but he still hadn't woken up. Today, everyone was here. "Rita's never gone after our families before."

"Our families have never attacked monsters before," Billy observed. Zack had to smile a little at that.

"Yeah, I guess." He shook his head a little. "Hurry and wake up so you can explain that one, man." Then Billy's communicator watch went off, and the Rangers crossed to the other side of the room. Well, all but Xanthe, still impersonating Trini. She scooted her chair closer, and took Curtis's hand. The Aquitian's doubts were beginning to fade.

"Come on," she whispered, "You fought Putties and a monster, don't stop fighting now." Then, in the window, Xanthe glimpsed a blurry white reflection standing behind her. She ducked her head, and tried not to start hyperventilating. Behind her, she heard the others teleport, and saw the flashes.

"Trini?" That was Curtis's voice, wavery and quiet. With a start, Xanthe looked up, and saw Curtis looking at her.

"Curtis! You're awake!" Xanthe laughed in sheer relief—and not just from Akra influence. The reflection had vanished. "Hey, how's Angel Grove's newest hero feeling?" Curtis chuckled.

"Some hero. I threw one rock. Took out some clay guys."

"That still takes a lot of guts. Why did you do it?"

"I…I just got mad, I guess. So many monsters lately, spoiling everything we do." Xanthe heard the door open, and looked around. It was Ernie—it actually took her a second to remember that it was Garfield.

"Oh great, finally!"

"I suppose," Xanthe said, looking back at Curtis. The Akra host frowned.

"Sorry?" Garfield asked, coming in further. Xanthe's hands involuntarily clenched, but she shook her head a little. Just picture doors slamming shut and locking. Lots of doors. Curtis was looking at her funny.

"Never mind. You have good timing, though. Do you feel up to this?"

"What are you guys talking about?" Curtis asked.

"This," Xanthe said, standing up and stepping back beside Garfield. She pulled out her Hourglass Morpher, and Curtis's eyes widened. He sat bolt upright in bed, and stiffened. There was a crackling noise.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!" The Rangers exclaimed quickly, spinning their morphers.

 _Xanthe poses inside a clock tower, surrounded by bronzed cogs and wheels. The hourglass in her right hand shines green, and the sand bursts out. It covers her, forming her suit, and the image of the hourglass forms her helmet._

 _"Viridian Hourglass Ranger!"_

 _Garfield stands before a huge, dripping water clock. The hourglass in his hand glows blue, and the sand explodes around him in a blue storm. Swirling wildly, it forms his Ranger suit._

" _Cerulean Hourglass Ranger!"_

Curtis catapulted out of bed and into Xanthe, slamming her into a wall. Whirling, Garfield seized him by the collar and yanked him away, to the floor. Quickly, Xanthe sprang back up and lunged for the Akra. Red tendrils already crept across his skin as the Akra morphed into berserk mode.

"Hourglass Revolver!" Garfield drew the weapon, and began shooting at the struggling pair. Gas flooded the room, and Curtis choked. But then there was a scarlet flash, and a white-uniformed body rammed into Garfield. He hit the floor with a grunt, and there was a solid punch.

"Garfield?" Xanthe yelled, standing up as Curtis began to convulse. Then an arm snaked around her throat, and a woman hissed in her ear. Garfield yelled something through the smoke, but the smoke alarm began going off, muffling his words.

"Gotcha, fish-girl!" Then Xanthe saw red. Ducking forward, the Viridian Ranger slammed the woman into the floor back-first, then caught her by the wrists and threw her into the hospital equipment. It shattered, sparking, and the woman crumpled with a yell of pain.

Panting, Xanthe rounded on the other Monitor. She charged through the smoke and grabbed at the first thing she saw—a head full of scarlet hair. The Monitor screamed as Xanthe slammed her, face-first, into the wall. With a bubbling growl, Xanthe continued, barely even noticing when the woman went quiet.

"Xanthe? Xanthe!" A pair of hands came down on her upper arms, and Xanthe stopped. She let go, and the Akra crumpled to the floor, face streaked with blood. The smoke had cleared some, and all three Akra were out for the count.

"Oh…" was all Xanthe managed. She took a few deep, shaking breaths. "I'm sorry, I shall not lose control again."

"Er, actually, just save it for when we've got real odds to beat." Xanthe nodded, and Garfield let go. Crunching through broken glass and debris, he crouched beside Curtis, and paused. "We can take Akra off the Monitors, too?"

"We can. I will get the Containment Jars."


	9. Chapter 9: Mariner Bay, March 13th, 2000

**Mariner Bay, March 13th, 2000**

Miss Fairweather sat bolt upright in her bed, panting. She looked around the dark room, disoriented, and slowly her dream came back to her. Demons had invaded the Aquabase, and for some reason the Rangers couldn't morph. As the Batlings smashed up the windows and water began to pour in, Miss Fairweather had somehow caused the water to smash into the monsters, then drag them out the hole. Then she'd held it still while the window was repaired.

Shaking her head, Miss Fairweather started to lie down again. But she couldn't go back to sleep. It had felt so real and natural, controlling the water. With a sigh, she got up, and went over to the fish tank set in one wall. It was three a.m.; she could indulge a silly urge.

Raising one hand over the pool, Miss Fairweather looked hard at the water. It rippled, and then a single tentacle of liquid rose up towards her hand. With a yelp, Miss Fairweather jerked her hand away, and the water collapsed with a plop.

"Impossible," the scientist breathed. She tried again. The water followed her hand up and around, forming a ring that floated in the air. With an incredulous giggle, Miss Fairweather ran her fingers through it. Hydrokinesis. She made a mental note to investigate further in the morning. Then the scientist went back to bed.

Xanthe was in the Lightspeed laboratory, in the guise of Dana, quietly mixing together a new batch of H2O-SP—she was running low. The Aquabase had everything she needed, and the Aquitian knew the recipe by heart.

As she injected herself, Xanthe glanced over at the small pool, and realized that she could have rehydrated naturally. Then she shrugged: what's done is done, and she was rehydrated now. But as she began cleaning up, a female voice spoke up from the doorway.

"So you're a scientist too, Dana?" Dropping the case, Xanthe whirled around, and froze at the sight of Kelsey. The Yellow Ranger smiled and came inside, closing the door after her. Xanthe looked down at the spilled, shattered vials, and swallowed hard. It looked like they were all broken.

"I—I was just cleaning up. I couldn't sleep, and I found one of the interns trying to clean up this mess, so I sent him to bed and took over." She laughed a little, hoping she didn't sound too nervous. "Honestly, I have no idea what these chemicals do."

"You really suck at lying," Kelsey replied airily. Xanthe stiffened. "Hey, relax; I'm not with the Monitors. Tell you what, my morpher should run down pretty soon, we can both reveal ourselves." Pulling out a Gyro Morpher full of pink sand, Kelsey watched as the last few grains fell.

"You—" Xanthe began, just as pink light enveloped Kelsey. When it faded, a teenage girl stood there. She had a freshly-scrubbed look, her clothes didn't fit very well, and her curly red hair was still damp. Xanthe's jaw dropped, just as she felt a surge of energy from her own morpher.

"Detra?" She said, quickly grabbing the Gyro Morpher. She transformed back, and Detra's face lit up.

"Xanthe!" The girl exclaimed, leaping forward and seizing Xanthe in a hug. "Sis! I thought you were dead!" The pair hugged for a long minute.

"How did you get the Amaranth Morpher?" Xanthe asked, releasing the human and looking her up and down. She touched a red mark wrapping across Detra's shoulder, and the ginger winced.

"Captured, almost turned, escaped, grabbed the thing and ran. Did just what you said in your holo-messages, and it's been working out. You?"

"Very similar—though I have a teammate. Garfield Brooks, he's blind. He should be around here somewhere." Xanthe shook her head, and laughed again, though with a touch of sadness. "Life has been so insane lately, Detra. I've missed you."

"Me too—no, wait," Detra paused, putting up a hand. "No, I've missed you. 'Me too' would mean I missed myself. I thought you were the Akra."

"Obviously not. Do you think it'll be a stranger?" Xanthe asked. Detra half-shrugged.

"If you're done here, I'll help you clean up and make a replacement batch, and then we can get some sleep." Xanthe nodded, and the two women started cleaning.

* * *

Miss Fairweather carefully looped the water through itself in a complicated knot, as the Rangers and Captain Mitchell watched, spellbound. Several of the other technicians and security officers had stopped what they were doing to stare as well.

"I discovered this ability last night, and have been running tests on it," Miss Fairweather said slowly. She flicked her wrist, and the water collapsed with a splash. "As far as I can tell, these abilities are mentally generated."

"Cool," Kelsey breathed. "Can we do that?"

"I doubt it," Miss Fairweather replied. "In layman's terms, you simply don't have the brainpower."

"And you do?" Joel said, folding his arms and raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, actually." Miss Fairweather smirked. "Otherwise I wouldn't be doing it." At that point, a monster alarm began blaring. The Rangers and Captain Mitchell ran for Rescue Ops, and Miss Fairweather ran after them. Then she heard Carter's voice, as clearly as though he was standing in front of her.

" _Maybe Miss Fairweather can help us with this demon."_

"Carter?" The Red Ranger glanced back at her as they reached the main base, and gathered around the viewscreen.

"What?"

"Didn't you just say something?" The scientist asked. The man shook his head, frowning.

" _Weird,"_ he said again. Eyes widening, Miss Fairweather touched her temples. Quickly, she looked over at Captain Mitchell.

" _I'd rather not risk our top scientist on the front lines, but these new abilities could be useful—as long as they aren't connected to the demons."_ The scientist looked at each of the other Rangers in turn.

" _Fire-powered monster—burns,"_ Dana thought, focusing on the laughing monster on the screen.

" _Well, at least he's a perky one,"_ Kelsey thought, cocking her head to one side.

" _This guy doesn't look so tough."_ Miss Fairweather had to smile at Joel's cockiness. He caught her look, and grinned back widely. _"Superpowers are melting the ice queen, awesome!"_ Her smile faded a little. Ice queen? She just focused on her work—the way Joel was _supposed_ to. Then the Rangers were running out, brushing past her, and Miss Fairweather went to her normal station.

* * *

The Rescue Rover skidded around a corner, and the Rangers piled out. They were in the shopping district, in a plaza with a newly-broken fountain and trampled flower beds around it. The monster released the man he'd been holding, and the civilian scrambled away. Laughing, the monster faced the group, all of whom dropped into fighting stances.

"What took you so long? We've been waiting for you!"

"Wait's over. Lightspeed Rescue!" Carter shouted, and the Rangers repeated him. But a wave of fire slammed into them mid-morph, throwing them all to the ground. Their morphs flickered and died, leaving the entire group scorched and in pain. Xanthe clutched at her stomach and thigh alternately, biting back a screech.

"That was way too easy!" The monster bellowed, coming forward.

"You're telling me," Garfield hissed, gritting his teeth and pushing himself up on an elbow. The Batlings charged in while the Rangers were down, and began seizing them by the arms. They struggled, but were quickly overpowered and dragged to their feet. Drawing a black sword whose blade dripped fire, the monster began pacing up and down the line.

"Now, which one should I destroy first? The courageous leader? The cool-headed paramedic?"

"You're so sure you've won, haven't you?" Garfield called. Xanthe looked at him in alarm, and then remembered how much Akra loved drama. The monster turned, and laughed.

"Of course, the hotshot pilot." He struggled, as did the other Rangers, but the monster advanced, raising its sword.

That was when the fountain exploded. The water quickly formed into a tentacle and shot towards the monster, knocking him flat. The Batlings and Rangers looked up to see Miss Fairweather standing on the far side of the plaza, one hand raised and staring intently at the water.

"No, not water! You're putting out my fire!" The monster bellowed, struggling to its feet. Sure enough, its bright red skin was growing duller. Miss Fairweather grinned.

"That was the idea." She twisted her arm, and the water tentacle caught the monster around the waist. Picking the creature up, the water swung it around and formed a ball around it, despite its struggles. The Batlings finally snapped out of their bewildered stares and transformed into bats, flying away with much squeaking.

The monster bubbled and gurgled, turning darker and darker. The Rangers stumbled and limped over to Miss Fairweather, staring at the creature in bewilderment. Xanthe stopped beside the woman, and following Akra instinct, began scanning her teammates' injuries. Nothing looked serious.

"Miss Fairweather, stop," Detra ordered suddenly. Everyone looked at her as if she was crazy. "Please, just do it, this isn't an ordinary monster." Miss Fairweather gaped at her for a second. Then the Akra apparently decided to go with it, and the water splashed on the pavement. By now, the monster was dark blue.

Detra charged over to it, and began peeling apart the armor. The others ran over as she revealed a layer of spongy white stuff just beneath the surface, and began ripping it apart. Only then did Xanthe remember how the Akra created their own monsters, and nearly slapped herself. How had she forgotten about that? Oh, right—the same reason the rest of her memory was a mess. With a shake of her head, Xanthe crouched down to help.

"That doesn't look like an ordinary demon," Carter said. Miss Fairweather began examining it, just as Detra tore through the last of the spongy stuff, and uncovered a bare, flushed throat. A pulse beat visibly there, and now all the Rangers joined in ripping the fake monster apart.

"I'll have to examine this," Miss Fairweather said, taking a clump of the spongy stuff. The Rangers finally uncovered an Asian man somewhere in his twenties, clad in white hospital pajama-style clothes and unconscious.

" _Garfield? Detra?"_ Xanthe asked. Neither reacted. She tried again—still no response. They didn't even flinch.

"Joel, Kelsey?" Now the pair looked at her. Checking the man's temperature, Xanthe lowered her voice. "Joel, I think Kelsey and I can take care of that problem we talked about earlier, okay?"

"Kelsey?" Garfield turned towards Detra, confused.

"We're not alone, Joel," Xanthe added. Slowly, it dawned on Garfield, and he grinned.

"Fantastic! Okay, I'll take care of this guy." With the help of Carter and Chad, Garfield picked up the unconscious man and lugged him back to the Rescue Rover. Standing up, Xanthe waited until they'd gone, and then turned to Miss Fairweather. The scientist had produced a case and equipment from nowhere, and was scanning the blobby stuff.

"Strange—it's organic, and I think it was alive, but it's not demonic," she said, shaking her head.

"It's called White Akra. It's an offshoot of the normal breed, about as intelligent as your average moss, and takes the form of just about anything—monsters, machinery, you name it," Detra said. Miss Fairweather turned and looked at her.

"How do you know all this?" Detra and Xanthe exchanged a smile, and backed up a step.

"One second. Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

 _Xanthe poses inside a clock tower, surrounded by bronzed cogs and wheels. The hourglass in her right hand shines green, and the sand bursts out. It covers her, forming her suit, and the image of the hourglass forms her helmet._

 _"Viridian Hourglass Ranger!"_

 _Detra stands in front of a massive sundial, lit by a rosy dawn. The hourglass in her right fist blazes with pink light. With a flash, the sand flows out and covers her in a bright cloud, which quickly forms her Ranger suit._

" _Amaranth Hourglass Ranger!"_

Miss Fairweather didn't even bother talking. As the pair of Rangers turned towards her, she gestured, and a spurt of water knocked both women off their feet. Scrambling back up, Detra crossed her forearms.

"Wristguns, Laser Trap!" She yelled, and a pair of elegant guns materialized on her wrists. Aiming them both at Miss Fairweather's feet, she fired, and pink lines shot out. They bounced off the pavement and up into each other, then kept going. Miss Fairweather tried to reach through one, but it scorched her sleeve, and she recoiled. Soon, she was entirely surrounded by a laser cage.

"What is that?" Xanthe gasped, standing up.

"One of my attacks. You looked those up, right?" Detra glanced over at her. Xanthe tried to remember, but only found a laughing White Ranger. She shook her head, just as a portal opened up on a building wall. A trio of Monitors appeared, looked around, and spotted them. "Okay, you've got a Neural Net, so—Psychic Wave, that was it!"

"If you say so. Neural Net, Psychic Wave!" Xanthe cried, and twirling the net, hurled it at the newcomers. It wrapped around the man in front, and all the little electrodes woven into the fibers flashed green. A ripple of green energy shot out of the net, and all of the Akra collapsed—even Miss Fairweather.

Xanthe looked over at her adopted sister. The Amaranth Ranger pushed a button on her wrist, and the Laser Trap deactivated. Slowly, Xanthe began to laugh.

"We forgot," she choked. "Just forgot about our attacks!" Giggling, Detra punched her in the arm, crouched down beside Miss Fairweather. Xanthe just stood there, laughing uncontrollably, for a while.


	10. Chapter 10: Five Hills, 6 am, 2000's

**Five Hills, 6:00 a.m., 2000's**

Xanthe found herself already morphed and riding a motorcycle. She skidded a little, but quickly regained control. A glance down told her that she was a Green Ranger today, just as two other Rangers, Blue and Red, shot past her.

"Gwen, hurry up!" The Red Ranger yelled. His visor was shaped like a plus sign.

"Please!" Blue added, sounding distinctly more panicked. It was Garfield. Quickly, Xanthe reached out to guide the controls. The bike nearly hit a building, but swerved just in time. Relieved that her telepathy was working again, Xanthe guided him after her as they drove through the city. It was early morning, and the sun was barely up.

Hearing a symphony of laser blasts, Xanthe accelerated, and all three Rangers reached the city gates. Outside, a cluster of foot soldiers charged towards them, shooting at a running young woman. They were blue, slimy humanoids with breastplates and shoulderpads. Xanthe tried to remember which team fought those creatures, but she couldn't focus. The running girl screamed and ducked, and the three Rangers climbed off their motorcycles.

"Hold it, Gel Troopers!" The Red Ranger shouted. All three dropped into fighting stances as the Gel Troopers kept coming. The girl saw them, and her eyes widened. Then the Rangers charged.

"Neutron Blaster!" Garfield yelled, and triple-barreled pistol appeared in his hands. He opened fire, and each Gel Trooper he hit melted into a smoking puddle.

"Electron Daggers!" Xanthe summoned her own weapons, a pair of green daggers, and began slashing at the monsters. The air had a funny taste to it, burnt but sickeningly sweet. Xanthe tried to remember everything she knew about this team. Atomic Force, was it? Yes, and they were fighting a villain named Gelato. Suddenly Xanthe craved ice cream.

"Proton Sword!" The Red Ranger, Seymour, whirled the wakizashi with a metallic shing, and charged. He hacked through the Gel Troopers, even tossing a few energy blasts from his hands. After only a few seconds, all of the Gel Troopers had been defeated.

"Hey, are you okay?" Xanthe called, as she ran over to the civilian. She was a blonde, and though her clothes were in rags, she didn't look hurt. Even so, she fainted.

"Woah!" Garfield exclaimed. Seymour quickly gathered the unconscious girl.

"Let's take her back to the labs."

"Why?" Xanthe asked.

"She might be under Gelato's control or even know something important," Seymour replied.

* * *

It was nighttime when Kodi woke up, groaning a little. Climbing out of the sickbay bed, she began wandering the halls of Fisher Labs. Description of Fisher Labs. Coming around a corner, she nearly ran into Gwen arguing with an olive-skinned young man.

"I can take care of myself, Marcus! Stop treating me like a baby!"

"I'm not—you're one of three people standing between Gelato and the rest of the world! I'm allowed to worry about you!" Marcus's Scottish brogue was thicker than normal; he was pretty upset.

"Um, excuse me?" Kodi said awkwardly. The two stopped abruptly. "Can you tell me where I am. Wait—you're Power Rangers?"

"She is. I'm just part of Fisher Labs," Marcus replied. He sounded oddly bitter. "I'm sure this big, strong Ranger can take care of you just fine. Bye." He stormed away.

"Men," Gwen sighed, coming up to Kodi. She flicked her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder with an angry twitch. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. You know, I think there's more to this than him just being worried," Kodi said, after a moment's hesitation.

"Really? Big surprise—he wants my spot," Gwen replied. "They all want to be Rangers."

"Um, actually, I think he's worried about you because he likes you," Kodi replied. Gwen stopped.

"Seriously? Marcus?" Kodi giggled a little. "Huh…that might explain why he didn't want me to go into the Pit. And those flowers I found in front of my room."

"Flowers?" Kodi gave Gwen a shove. "Go get him back _right now_!" Laughing, Gwen ran off. Kodi smiled at her back. Then, faintly, Kodi heard a high-pitched noise, and decided to investigate.

Opening a door, Kodi was met by screaming. It was Andrew, the Blue Ranger, curled up on the floor and clutching his head. Kodi ran into his quarters. The room was barely big enough for two people, but she dropped down beside him as the door closed.

"Are you okay?" She asked anxiously, catching him by the shoulders and stopping him from slamming his head into the wall. He flailed in her grip. "Hey, hey! Calm down, you're fine!"

Panting, Andrew paused. There was a brief silence. The Cherokee looked over at Kodi, and ran a hand through his tangled blond hair. A light had fallen off of the one bookshelf, and Kodi quietly set it upright again.

"You're that girl we saved."

"Kodi. You've been Gelato's prisoner too?"

"What gave it away?" Andrew's voice was shaky, but wry.

"It's kind of obvious. You're the Blue Ranger, Andrew Davis?"

"Yeah. What of it?"

"When I was running to get here," Kodi paused significantly. "One of the Gel Shockers deflected a shot for me. She was called Biomecha, and she told me to tell Andrew Davis that she—Haleigh—was going to try to free the human prisoners in a few days, and meet you at the gates of Five Hills. That was about three days ago."

"What?" Andrew's shout was startling in the midnight silence. "Haleigh? As in—"

"Yes, your girlfriend Haleigh, she made a point of telling me so!" Kodi replied, with a laugh. Andrew ran off to wake Dr. Fisher, and Kodi hummed a little to herself. Getting up, she straightened up the rest of the room, put the books back on the shelves, and left, closing the door behind herself.

The Akra nearly ran into a young woman wearing an eyepatch. They both sprang back, the other woman dropping into a fighting stance. Kodi quickly put up both hands.

"Easy, easy, I'm not a Gel Shocker. I'm Kodi. Who are you?"

"Rebel," the other woman replied, after a second. She straightened, and Kodi offered her a hand. Stiffly, Rebel shook it. "You're that girl the Rangers saved yesterday?"

"Yeah. You're Marcus's sister, aren't you? You look like him," Kodi added, seeing the surprise on Rebel's face. The other nodded slowly. Hearing footsteps, both women looked around, just as the three Rangers came rushing down the hall. Seymour, a brunet, nearly ran into the pair, and the others went on. Kodi noticed the look Rebel gave the Red Ranger, and her eyes sparkled.

"Thanks for the tip," Seymour gasped to Kodi, sliding past them. He was gone before Kodi could respond. Rebel folded her arms with a huff, watching the others skid away.

"Give him a second when he's not busy, he'll notice," Kodi said. Rebel shot her a glare, and Kodi rolled her eyes. "Like I couldn't tell what you were thinking! Come on, do you really expect a Red Ranger to pay attention to a girl when there's a fight brewing?"

"All we ever do is fight," Rebel muttered. Kodi put a hand on Rebel's shoulder.

"There'll be a moment, just you wait." Brushing Kodi's hand away, Rebel left. The Akra watched her leave, and sighed. Some people were just so stubborn.

* * *

Early the next morning, the three unmorphed Atomic Rangers stood near the gates of Five Hills. Xanthe and Garfield hadn't had a chance to figure out where Detra had gone yet. The sun was barely up when they heard footsteps. They looked up, and saw a pink Gel Shocker, wearing multiple knives, leading a group of battered humans towards the city.

"Haleigh?" Garfield called softly. The Gel Shocker whirled around, her braids flying with the movement. Her shoulders slackened in relief as she saw the trio. But just as the Rangers hurried forward, torrents of toxin tore into the ground in front of the group, throwing them back.

"Not so fast!" A Gel Shocker cried, marching forward. It was about the height of a normal person, and armored around the waist and shoulders. It raised its arms, revealing rows of purple pores dripping with toxin. Biomecha stumbled, drawing her knives.

"Hydrotox!" She cried. "But the Rangers destroyed you!"

"Yeah, traitor? I got better," Hydrotox sneered, and shot more toxins at Biomecha. As the captives scattered, the blast knocked Biomecha flat on the ground. "And by better I mean better than ever!"

"That's more than enough, Gel Shocker!" Seymour shouted, and looked to his team. They drew their cell phone-like Atomic Morphers. It only took a second to dial the passcodes.

"Atomic Scramble, Engage!" The Rangers charged into battle, meeting a conveniently timed wave of Gel Troopers to pad out the battle.

Stabbing one monster in the head, Xanthe heard a shriek from the edge of the battlefield, and looked around. Kodi struggled in the grip of a pair of Gel Troopers. She was here again…why?

"Hang on!" Seymour yelled back, running towards Kodi. With a roar, the Red Ranger charged, smashing his way through the foot soldiers towards the girl. Automatically, Xanthe started forcing her way towards them, but then a terrible pain shot through her head, and she stumbled back. The slimy Gel Troopers crowded in on her, barely giving her room to move.

"What, Red, all alone?" Hydrotox called, striding through the battle. He raised his arms as Seymour reached Kodi, punching her attackers into puddles. Tendrils shot out of the monster's pores and slammed Seymour into the wall—repeatedly. There was an explosion, and the Red Ranger crumpled, losing his morph. Clutching his side, he glared defiantly up at the monster.

"No!" Rebel screamed from the gates. Charging forward, she sprang between Seymour and Hydrotox just as the creature fired. The entire wave of venom slammed into her, throwing her into the wall behind Seymour.

"Rebel!" Seymour exclaimed, springing to his feet. Garfield reached Hydrotox at that moment, and distracted the monster with a fight. Xanthe's wall of attackers finally thinned out, letting her run over. Breathless, Seymour darted over to Rebel, and gathered her in his arms. The one-eyed woman was gasping like a fish out of water, covered in violet poison.

"Rebel," Seymour said, in the soppiest voice Xanthe had ever heard from a Red Ranger. "Why?" He started swiping the toxin away, though it burned his hands. With a laugh, Hydrotox teleported away, leaving the Rangers, Biomecha and the freed captives alone. Quietly, Garfield went to help Biomecha.

"Not…your fault," the injured soldier managed. "I…should have…told you before…" She made googly eyes at him, and Seymour paused.

"Seymour," Kodi ventured, creeping closer, "When I was captured by Gelato, he…upgraded me."

"What?" The Red Ranger asked stupidly. Kneeling beside the pair, Kodi took Rebel's face between her hands, and shut her eyes. White energy shimmered around her hands, and the poison vanished. Kodi cried out and recoiled, panting. Rebel opened her eyes, and Seymour's face lit up with relief.

"Thanks," the one-eyed woman said, sitting up and pulling a familiar pink Gyro Morpher out from under her grey uniform, "But why would Gelato give you healing powers in the first place?"

"Let's get busy," Garfield said, returning to the group and taking up his own morpher. "Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

"What?" Kodi screamed, springing to her feet. "No! Monitors!"

"Where?" Garfield said, stopping. Seeing the portal open, Xanthe tackled Garfield to the ground. Startled, he struggled out of her grasp—just as a hot laser shot over their heads. Detra let out a shocked exclamation.

"What's going on?" Garfield yelled, and somersaulted away from another laser blast. Summoning her Hourglass Revolver, Xanthe shoved Seymour aside and caught Kodi by the throat. The girl clawed at her hand, but Xanthe slammed her into the wall and shot the gas pellet into her face. It only took a few seconds to knock the Akra out.

"What do you think, stupid?" A Monitor yelled back at him, shooting and hitting the wall behind his head. He flinched as bits of debris bounced off his back, and stepped in a Gel Trooper puddle. Slipping, he turned his fall into a cartwheel, dropping back into a fighting stance.

"Garfield, can you try an attack?" Detra called, from where she was holding off a Monitor with her wristguns. Nodding, the Cerulean Ranger gestured, and the blue cord appeared in his fist.

"Punjab Lasso! What do I do?"

"Um, um, um—Phantom Noose!" Detra yelled, blasting a Monitor in the chest. The man hit the ground, and Xanthe somersaulted over to him, pinning him beneath one knee. She stabbed the Trank Mode Hourglass Revolver into the side of his neck, and waited for him to stop struggling.

"Brilliant, Phantom Noose!" The rope blazed blue-white, and Garfield tossed it at the two Monitors running towards him. Without any guidance, the cord shot towards them and snared them around the throat and picked them up in the air. With an incredulous laugh, Garfield swung them around into a pile of crates, smashing them.

"Great, I love this!" Garfield cried, summoning the rope back and coiling it around his arm. The three Rangers looked around the battlefield. All of the Akra hosts lay prone, a few in Gel Trooper puddles. Toppled Hourglass gathered back together.

"Five," Detra panted. "They're really starting to take us seriously."

"Fun times!" Garfield cried, and twirled the Punjab Lasso back into its pocket dimension. He sounded serious.


	11. Chapter 11: Ocean Bluff, August 23, 2008

**Ocean Bluff, August 23rd, 2008**

Garfield sat bolt upright, gasping. His forehead and wife beater were soaked with cold sweat, and he fell out of his hammock. Catching himself on the wooden floor, the Cerulean Ranger heard footsteps, and two sets of hands catch him by the arms.

"Casey, are you okay?" A girl asked.

"Fine," Garfield panted, sitting up. The two let go, and Garfield swiped at his forehead. Taking a few deep breaths, Garfield faintly smelled pizza. "Just a dream." As he sat there, the dream "returned" to him.

"Great," a sleepy-sounding boy grumbled, and stood up.

"You're sure you're okay?" The girl asked again.

"I'm fine, Lily, relax," Garfield muttered, but he smiled in her direction. He wondered just how sweet she normally was. She leaned forward.

"Detra," she breathed.

"Garfield here," Garfield hissed back. "I'm Red? Any idea where Xanthe went?"

"You are, and I'm Yellow. Limited number of female characters this year, so…either Fran or Camille. Probably Camille; she's usually stuck being the bad guy, isn't she?" Garfield half-shrugged. "What kind of Akra do you think it was?"

"Dunno. We should go to the Pai Zhuq temple tomorrow, though. Think we'll find some clues there."

"Okay. Need any help with the hammock?" Detra asked. Garfield opened his mouth to say no, then remembered how good he'd been with hammocks before being blinded, and nodded. With a little laugh, Detra took him by the elbow, and helped him in. It took a few minutes of occasional spazzing out, during which Detra got backhanded in the face, but they managed it.

"Thanks, sorry, night," Garfield said, turning his head towards Detra's face.

"You're welcome, it's fine, sleep tight," the girl replied, audibly smiling. She walked away, and Garfield tried to relax. The hammock rocked a little, and he seized the sides convulsively. No, no, he wasn't tipping over, just relax. He nearly laughed. Lately Akra hunting had almost become _fun._ For a second, Garfield froze. Something was wrong with that thought—possibly very wrong. Then the feeling vanished, and shrugging it off, he went to sleep.

* * *

Detra came down the steps after "Casey," accompanied by the rest of the Jungle Fury Rangers. They were pretty far along; even Dom was on the team by now. All of them wore disturbingly blank expressions. As they headed deeper under Pai Zhuq Academy, Detra's hand went through a cobweb, and she shuddered and swiped at it: like the Ranger she impersonated, she was not fond of spiders.

"I came down here in my dream last night," Garfield said. He kept one hand on the wall, probably for balance on the rough stone steps. "I thought I heard a voice. But Dai Shi was waiting for me. We fought, and he was about to destroy me when a Panther animal spirit tackled him. When he left, I looked for who'd cast it, but all I saw was a silhouette. Then I woke up."

"Weird," RJ said. He seemed unusually subdued. They finally reached the room where Dai Shi's box had been kept, and Casey went to the frieze of the ancient battle. The others came down the steps, and looked around the room, as if they expected Dai Shi to leap out of the shadows. Running a hand over the carved figures, Casey paused. Brushing cobwebs and dust away from one corner, uncovering a carving of a feline-headed woman. He froze.

There was a flash of light, and Master Mao appeared behind the group. They all whirled around, and Dom nearly fell down in surprise—he hadn't seen the ghostly teacher before now. "I was wondering when one of you would notice her."

"Who is she?" Garfield asked, turning towards the Pai Zhuq master, "I had a dream about her last night."

"Her name is Klaw. She was one of the ancient masters—the greatest, in fact," Master Mao said. Detra stifled a snort, and noticed Garfield's eyebrows shoot up. Fortunately, it looked enough like being impressed for him to get away with it. "She mastered every feline technique, and even created her own, the Panther Technique," Master Mao continued, beginning to pace. Akra influence prompted Detra to smile.

"I wish I could have met her—she sounds awesome!" The Amaranth Ranger said.

"So why didn't the ancient masters win back then, if they had someone that good?" Theo asked, folding his arms and looking skeptical.

"Klaw did manage to best Dai Shi. However, when the time came to destroy him, she faltered. She couldn't strike her own father down—but he felt no such loyalty, and destroyed Klaw."

"What?" Everyone exclaimed at once.

"I didn't know Dai Shi had any family!" Dom exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Klaw was placed under a curse for failing Pai Zhuq at that moment—her spirit was forbidden from entering the Spirit World until Dai Shi was conquered. An ancient prophecy states that when Dai Shi awakens, one with a feline animal spirit will be able to restore Klaw to physical form, to allow her to restore her honor," Mao finished.

"That's terrible!" Detra protested, with a grain or two of sincerity. The others looked equally saddened—well, Garfield made a rather odd noise, which drew a look from Master Mao, but he covered it up quickly.

"Is that it? Does anyone know how to find Klaw? I have Tiger spirit; I could restore her!" He exclaimed.

"It is a dangerous undertaking," Master Mao said seriously. "When I was a cub, a young Leopard tried to restore her, and fell into a coma for three weeks."

"I don't care!" Garfield retorted. He threw a sickeningly soppy look at the carving—albeit with a strained look in his eye. "I feel like this is my destiny, Master."

Apparently this was all Master Mao needed, for he proceeded to describe a fairly stereotypical necromancy ceremony. Candles, moonlight, the woods—though there was an additional bit of Animal Spirit summoning.

"Casey, you can't!" Theo protested.

"Not a good idea, me compadre," RJ added.

"So, neither of you are going to help me?" Garfield asked Theo and Detra rhetorically. "You have feline animal spirits, too. No? Fine, _worry_ all you want. Bye." Detra caught Garfield by the shoulder, but he shook her off and ran up the stairs. Master Mao disappeared, and the other four Rangers exchanged worried looks. Shaking his head, Master Mao vanished in a puff of mist. But just as Dom started to say something, their morphers started beeping. Theo pulled out his and put the sunglasses on.

"Yeah?" Detra couldn't hear who was speaking, but Theo looked amused.

"You're fine, Fran, I can hear you loud and clear. What's up?" The smile faded, and Theo nodded curtly. "We're on our way."

"Monster?" Dom asked, as Theo pulled off his Solar Morpher. The Blue Ranger nodded.

"By the harbor. Should we call Casey?"

"We can handle this. He's got enough to worry about," Dom said. The others nodded, and they all charged up the stairs.

* * *

Garfield woke up with a pounding headache. Night creatures chirped and whistled around him, a wind rustled through the trees, and the air tasted of loam—and roses. Garfield could hear someone breathing beside him, softly, and turned his head.

The Akra influence—and yes, more roses—came in thick and fast. Although Garfield couldn't see the girl, his dream suddenly pieced itself back together—silky black hair, silky black dress, glinting yellow eyes and pale skin.

"You!" The Cerulean Ranger exclaimed stupidly. "Klaw!"

"I knew I'd visited the right one," Klaw replied softly. Her voice was smooth and low, like honey. "Only a Tiger would have the courage to perform the ritual. The others failed because they were overcome by fear, and stopped halfway."

"Dai Shi's escaped," Garfield said, and heard Klaw suck in a breath. Well, there went the mood. "My friends and I could really use your help."

Klaw sat back, and said nothing for a long minute. The wind blew, sending another whiff of roses into Garfield's face. "I failed once," the Akra host said slowly, "If I face him again, I shall lose my spirit entirely. No!"

She sprang to her feet and ran off into the woods. Garfield pursued, shouting her name, and promptly tripped over a root. Pushing himself up, he muttered darkly about the stupid woods, and ran onwards. Whatever had happened to Akra influence guiding him? Eh, he hadn't used it in such uneven terrain before.

Klaw stopped to catch her breath in a clearing, and Garfield caught up with her. His shins were bruised, his face and hands stinging from whippy branches, and he was out of breath. Klaw recoiled as he staggered forward.

"Why won't you help us?" Garfield demanded. He was genuinely ticked off by now.

"How can I? Evil or not, he's still my father," Klaw retorted. "Leave me alone!" She whirled and karate-chopped at Garfield, who caught the blow and grabbed Klaw by the arms.

"Because you have to finish what you started ten thousand years ago," he hissed. Klaw struggled, but couldn't free herself. With a feline snarl of fury, she ripped out of Garfield's grasp, shoving him to the ground, and leaped onto a low tree branch.

Then Garfield's Solar Morpher began to beep. He backed up and put them on. "Yeah?"

"Red Ranger," Dai Shi's voice came through loudly enough for anyone in the clearing to hear. Klaw started, and dropped to the ground with a rustle of silk and leaves.

"How—" Garfield began, but Dai Shi cut him off.

"I have all four of your fellow Rangers. Surrender yourself to me or I will destroy them!"

The glade was silent for a few moments. Some night bird twittered off in the distance. Klaw said nothing, and it sounded like she was holding her breath.

"All right," Casey said at last. "Don't hurt them, I'm coming."

"Casey, don't," Klaw protested, as the Cerulean Ranger pulled off his borrowed sunglasses.

"You know, when you saved me in my dream, I thought you were the one who could destroy Dai Shi once and for all," Garfield said coldly. He sensed a cheesy line coming, and braced himself. "You seemed so brave and strong then. Looks like I was wrong. You're nothing but a coward." He ran off, and after a minute, heard a distant howl somewhere behind him. Gritting his teeth, Garfield ran on.

He'd at last gotten the hang of running through woods. He managed to avoid running into any trees, and only tripped a few times—though once he fell into a rotting log and ended up covered in bugs and fungi. Brushing them off, Garfield finally came out of the woods into Ocean Bluff. It didn't take long at all to find "his" team.

"Casey!" Dom yelled, as Garfield skidded around the corner. Chains jingled, and the foot soldiers made grunting noises. Nearer, there was a leonine snarl, and footsteps. Garfield straightened, and faced the walker.

"I'm the one you want, Dai Shi. Let them go," he said.

"How do I know you'll keep your word?" A man asked, smirking. Taking a deep breath, Garfield pulled off his Solar Morpher, and tossed it. Someone caught it.

"Casey, no!" Lily—Detra—yelled, struggling. There were more footsteps, and Garfield was surrounded by hopping foot soldiers. They quickly wound him about with chains, fastening his arms behind his back.

"Wonderful. Rinshi, destroy them—all of them," Dai Shi ordered.

"You promised!" Garfield yelled, as the Rinshi shoved him to his knees.

"Did I? I believe I said that I'd destroy your teammates if you didn't hand yourself over to me. I never said what would happen if you did. Goodbye, Jungle Fury Rangers." Dai Shi even permitted himself an evil laugh.

"Don't you dare." Klaw's voice was flat and commanding. Cutting his laugh short, Dai Shi whirled around, and the Rinshi made confused noises. "Long time no see, Dad. Nice body, by the way."

"Klaw," Dai Shi snarled.

"No kidding. Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!" There was a dark energy burst, and the Rinshi started grunting in fear. "With the cunning of a panther, Jungle Fury Black Ranger!"

For Garfield, the battle was pretty dull. He couldn't break the chains, even when most of the Rinshi abandoned him to fight. There was a lot of grunting, shouting, whistling metal, thumps of varying degree, and occasional bursts of sparks. Every once in a while, one of the Rangers—including Garfield himself—shouted encouragement or admiration for Klaw.

Then, at last, Dai Shi shouted for a retreat. The villains teleported away. Hearing running footsteps, Garfield tried to stand up, and Klaw caught him by the shoulders. She had blades coming out of her wrists, like Wolverine, and slashed through the chains.

"You came back," Garfield panted.

"I had some old business to take care of. But now that that's done, I think I'll get rid of the Ranger imposters," Klaw said airily. Then smacking his arm aside, she dug all three claws into Garfield's stomach. It didn't hurt for about a millisecond, and then it hurt so bad that Garfield couldn't breathe.

"No!" Detra screamed, her voice already sounding blurry.

"What are you doing?" Dom yelled.

"You're next, KO-35 girl!" Klaw roared, yanking the claws out. Garfield choked and fell to his knees again, clutching at his chest. Hot liquid stained his fingers, and he clamped his hands over the wounds. More fighting broke out, and Garfield collapsed. The last thing he was aware of was someone teleporting in beside him and dropping down to his level. Xanthe?


	12. Chapter 12: Muiranthias, Jan 20th, 2033

**Muiranthias, January 20th, 2033**

Xanthe sat beside her adopted sister, still disguised as Camille. All three Rangers' disguises were still active, though there was no one else in the dark cave to see. Detra hiccuped, scrubbed at her eyes and wiped her hand on the prone Garfield's stomach. Her fingers came away shiny and dark red.

"Why aren't the tears working?" Xanthe asked. She was trying very, very hard to stay calm, but her voice still shook. Garfield stirred a little, and made a soft gurgling noise. Another tear dripped down Detra's nose onto his stomach.

"I'm only half KO-35, I don't know if I can do it at all," Detra stammered. Then there was an audible shimmer, and both women looked down. Garfield's Gyro Morpher had run out, but though his real uniform was still torn and bloody, his breathing evened out. Quickly, Xanthe pulled up his shirt, and saw that the wound had closed. Detra let out a sob of relief.

"Where are we?" Xanthe asked, pulling Garfield's shirt back down. She looked around the dusty tunnel. It was too dark to tell how long it was, and the air smelled faintly of brimstone. Rising, the Viridian Ranger began to explore.

"I don't know. An empty dimension, I guess. Probably left over from one of the old bad guys," Detra said, and sniffled. Xanthe looked back.

"Look after him. I'll go explore and see if I can find any clues to where we are." Detra nodded, and Xanthe glanced around. Nearby, she glimpsed a beam of light falling from the ceiling, and headed towards it. The rock floor was uneven and strangely lumpy, but Xanthe managed.

In here, somehow, her thoughts were clearer than they had been recently. Xanthe felt her disguise vanish, and sighed a little. She hadn't been herself for a long time. As she walked, she felt a round lump in her hip pocket, and wondered what it was.

Finally, Xanthe reached the light. It came from a wide hole in the roof, and it was a dim, whitish light. In it, Xanthe saw that the floor was actually made of hardened magma. Squinting upwards, Xanthe managed to make out a high, rocky ceiling. Were they in a volcano?

Xanthe sat down. They couldn't get up there with Garfield still seriously hurt. Reaching into the pocket of her uniform, she pulled out a round locket, and smiled in recognition. Snapping it open, she looked at the two pictures, one of herself, and one of Detra, taken when they'd both been about ten years old. Then the Aquitian's smile began to fade.

Why had the Akra gone to Aquitar for Detra? Because she and Xanthe were so close? Because her past was their favorite kind of tragic? Detra's birth parents, scientists, had crashed on Aquitar during her infancy, and Xanthe's family had saved the baby and adopted her. This locket had even come from them; Akra had an irrational love of lockets.

Wait. Xanthe stopped and looked down at the locket. Why would Detra replace pictures of her parents with herself and her adopted sister? Surely the memory of one's dead parents was important enough to just get another locket. In fact, if it was Detra's, how had Xanthe gotten it? She hadn't taken it from Detra. Actually, she hadn't brought it to Earth at all—Xanthe had carefully selected and catalogued each of her possessions for the trip. At least, she thought she had.

The Aquitian stopped up short. Xanthe's mind veered off into a vampiric memory, but the Aquitian smacked it back hard. Enough of that! A sharp pain shot through Xanthe's head, and she winced as the White Ranger reappeared. Grimly, Xanthe imagined slashing the stranger back with a sword, and began rummaging through her mind for Detra.

She remembered—she remembered—the ship crashing—finding baby Detra—playing tag when they were girls—why had scientists brought an infant on a dangerous mission at all? This made less and less sense, and the more Xanthe thought about it, the harder it was to focus. The pain got worse.

"Detra—locket—crashed ship—playing—when did I play?" Xanthe asked, staring down at the locket. "This is illogical! Unicorn!" She clenched her fists convulsively. That Ranger was fighting back now.

Then a terrible idea hit the Aquitian. Xanthe snapped the locket shut. No. No, they couldn't have. The Akra wouldn't—even they wouldn't do something so low to their enemies. But if they did…what would be their next move?

Getting up, Xanthe shoved the locket into her pocket and pulled out her pocket dimension. Giving herself a good dose of H2O-SP, she put everything away and headed back into the dark. The drug sent a rush of energy through Xanthe, and she flexed her hands. She had a growing headache, and was even starting to veer off course, her thoughts were getting so scattered, but she kept going. She'd get there eventually. She just hoped it would be in time.

* * *

Detra saw Garfield stir, and wondered if he was waking up. Only one of his eyes could really close at the moment, but his breathing changed pace. Quietly, he turned his head around, and sniffed the air. Then he sneezed, and clutched at his gut with a stifled curse.

"Garfield?" His head snapped towards her.

"What happened after I got stabbed? Where are we?" He touched his own face with one shaky hand, finding the scars.

"Xanthe came back and helped me fight off Klaw. I think the Monitors thought she could handle us, because none of them showed up until we were ready to portal away. We don't really know where we are right now, other than in a cave. How do you feel?"

"Bloody awful," Garfield muttered. Detra sniffled. "It's not your fault."

"No, that's not why—KO-35 human tears have healing powers, but since I'm only half-blooded, it's taking a lot. Don't m-mind me." Garfield nodded very slowly, and rested his head against the rock. Silently, Detra took a tear off her cheek, and touched it to the biggest of Garfield's scars. After a moment, it began to fade. Garfield started.

"Detra? What was that?" The Amaranth Ranger smiled, and ran her damp finger down another scar. It started to vanish as well. Garfield recoiled, hissing and putting a hand to his gut. "Detra, I need these. The Akra rejected me because of them."

"So you want to be a freak?" Detra asked. She snorted. "And you act like the _Akra_ are the bad guys."

"What are you—oh no." Garfield shook his head. "No, no, no." Detra smiled.

"Just relax, Garfield. The Queen's just sent me to heal you and ask if you've made a decision yet. That's why we're in a void dimension. We've unlocked the Portal Pointers so you've got some time to recover and think."

"Er," Garfield touched his rapidly healing face, and shook his head. "Wh-why can't I see, then?"

"Like I said, only half-KO-35. Serious internal damage like what happened to your eyes takes a lot of work—probably more than I could do." She left the rest of the thought unspoken, and saw that Garfield understood. The other Akra had the means to cure him.

"What about Xanthe?" His voice was softer. Detra smiled.

"Oh, Xanthe. You know, you've only got her word that we were going to kill you in the first place, and have you noticed how she's been behaving lately? Does she seem like a well person to you?" Detra paused, and frowned. "Is that how you say it? It sounds wrong. But anyway, we're going to put her in her own private dimension too, once we've got her under control."

"Oh?" Xanthe's voice startled the pair. Detra whirled around to see the Viridian Ranger, morphed, standing a few feet away. She stood, feet apart and head down, hands at her sides like a cowboy waiting for the draw. Slowly, Detra stood up.

"When did you walk in, sis?" The girl was calm and collected, almost teasing. Xanthe took a slow breath.

"Early enough, Akra." Xanthe's voice was hard and flat. "You have shaken my perceptions of reality, rewritten my life, and used me as a trapdoor to infiltrate this team. Twice is enough."

Before Detra could react, Xanthe charged across the room, seized her by the shoulders, and threw her into the darkness. She hit the floor, knocking the wind out of her lungs, and rolled over. Xanthe charged, ignoring Garfield's shout.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!" Detra cried shakily, morphing with a flash as Xanthe leaped towards around, Detra backflipped and aimed a kick at Xanthe. The Aquitian ducked and slammed her fist into Detra's solar plexus, and the host doubled over with a grunt.

Somersaulting under Xanthe's next swing, Detra caught the Aquitian's fist on her hand, and threw her over her shoulder in a judo hold. As Xanthe tried to get up, Detra tackled her, wrapping her fingers around the Aquitian's throat.

"I," she panted, "have had—enough of—you, fish-face!"

"Likewise," Xanthe hissed. Seizing Detra's wrists, she yanked them apart from each other—Detra's nails gashed her throat—and headbutted the Akra host. Detra fell back, and Xanthe sprang up, twisting her arms behind her back.

Grasping a handful of Detra's hair, Xanthe slammed her face-first into the floor, repeatedly. Detra struggled, but grew fuzzier and fuzzier. She thought she heard the Aquitian shriek, sounding way beyond human. Blood dripped in her eyes. What were the Monitors doing?

"Xanthe, stop, you'll kill both of them," Garfield protested, stumbling towards the pair. Xanthe paused, and Detra took the opportunity to lash out psychically. She was met by a wall of random, bizarre images and a blast of massive pain.

 _GET OUT!_ Detra screamed, clutching at the back of her neck, and Xanthe kicked her in the back of the head. She crumpled. Glimpsing a green flash, Detra barely even realized that Xanthe had demorphed before the Aquitian started punching her. Quickly, everything faded to black.

"Xanthe—Xanthe!" Garfield yelled, catching the Aquitian by the arms. She headbutted him in the jaw, slammed an elbow into his stomach, and shook him off with a snarl. Then she went back to punching the limp Detra.

"S-sands of Time, Rise Up!" Garfield coughed, fumbling for the morpher. The energy made him strong enough to get up, and he summoned his Punjab Lasso. Snaring Xanthe, he pinned her arms to her sides and dragged her away from Detra. Slamming her to the floor, he planted a foot on her chest.

"Stop it right now!" He screamed.

"You're on her side," Xanthe hissed. She caught him by the ankle and flipped him aside. Garfield jarred his elbow in landing. "You were going to join them, weren't you? Don't lie to me—I can read your mind! If you'd been on my side, you would have told me when they gave you the offer!"

"What good would that have done?" Garfield snapped, springing up. Xanthe shook off the Punjab Lasso, but Garfield seized her in a full nelson and shoved her to her knees. The Aquitian was gasping, and she struggled, but Garfield clung to her like a lobster.

"Everything!"

"That doesn't even make sense!" Xanthe twisted around, flipping Garfield underneath her, and held him there. Garfield tasted blood in his mouth, and a dull pain started up in his stomach. Why hadn't Detra fixed him entirely? Xanthe writhed, and Garfield wondered what had gotten into her. _With friends like this, who needs the Akra?_ "Let me up!"

"You are on their side," Xanthe said, pausing. "I heard you."

"No I'm not, but I might just defect if you keep acting mental, now _get off me_!" Garfield roared, and threw Xanthe aside. She rolled and didn't get up. Gasping, Garfield sat up slowly, putting a hand to his stomach. The pain was worse than ever. He flopped over on his side and demorphed, shutting his eyes. This was getting way too complicated.

* * *

It might have been five minutes later, or five hours. Garfield heard someone stir. It was Xanthe, by the bubbly breathing, pushing herself up and crawling. The Cerulean Ranger braced himself to attack, just in case she was about to go berserk again.

"Containment Jar." She sounded hoarse. Slowly, Garfield sat up, trying to stifle a groan of pain. He hurt all over now. The now-familiar noises of an Akra's suckers detaching echoed in the cavern. The jar lid shut.

"What was that, Xanthe?" Garfield asked, rubbing his head. All of his facial scars were gone now, and he needed to shave. Eh, whatever. Xanthe didn't reply, only sealed the jar.

"I'm sorry." She was very quiet. There were more indistinct noises, and then the click-pew of a portal opening. But as Garfield tried to get up, he heard Xanthe jump, and the portal snap shut.

"Xanthe? Xanthe!" Garfield stumbled and caught himself, scraping his hands on the rough volcanic rock. He kept yelling for a while, as if that would help. His voice echoed around the cave and upstairs in the Snake Temple and throughout the volcano. Then, at last, he stopped yelling, and just hung his head.

"Fantastic."


	13. Chapter 13: Reefside, October 15th, 2004

**Reefside, October 15th, 2004**

Xanthe landed sitting down and looked around, panting. She was in an airplane row, with the lights low and other passengers dozing around her. Head pounding, Xanthe decided to try and figure out where she'd landed tomorrow. Akra influence wasn't doing anything at the moment.

The Aquitian was still reeling—in every sense of the word—from the fight. She slumped back against her seat, and a manicured hand over her face. Why had she come here? With the portals still deadlocked on random, it was nearly impossible for Garfield to follow her. In fact, they might never see each other again.

Was that a bad thing? Xanthe's telepathy was still sporadic, and she still wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but Garfield's thoughts had been clear. He didn't trust her—he thought Xanth was losing her mind—the Akra offer was a very, very tempting one.

Xanthe kept glancing around at the other passengers, as if she expected Monitors to jump out at any second. A quiet, nonsensical murmur rose up in her mind, and Xanthe tasted bile. She needed more H2O-SP. Slipping into the bathroom and locking the door, Xanthe dosed herself, and slumped back against the wall as the drug flowed through her veins.

Everything began to clear up. If Garfield really was going to join the Akra, now he wouldn't be able to betray her to do it. If not, then he could work well enough on his own. He'd proven it before now. And there wasn't any helping it anyway; what was done was done.

Xanthe sat up. She had a handbag with her, and opening it, she dug around until she found a little mirror. Flipping it open, she stared at her new face. She'd become Kimberly. Again. Smiling a little, Xanthe put the mirror away, and got up. She had a new Akra to take care of—once the plane landed.

Xanthe drove up to Hayley's Cyberspace Café, and groaned a little. It was going to be one of _those_ Akra. Though, in the back of her mind, Xanthe admitted that romancing Tommy wasn't the worst thing she'd had to do in this job. Not even close…she silence the train of thought, turned off the engine, and got out.

The front door was locked. Xanthe stood on the step, waiting quietly with her pink duffel bag. Birds twittered from the rooftops, and everything was still wet from a rainstorm the night before. The door swung open to reveal Hayley, and Xanthe immediately swamped her in a hug. Despite her surprise, Hayley returned it.

"Kim, hi! I forgot you were coming," the ginger said, as they broke the hug.

"Forgot? Hayley, I emailed you last night, what happened?" Xanthe asked, smiling in disbelief. On cue, there was a rustle from behind Hayley, and both women looked around. On the sofa on the far side of the room sat a little girl, clutching a blanket.

The kid was about eight years old, maybe a little younger, she was so small. Her hair was brown and short, her clothes ragged, and her blue eyes were almost unnaturally bright. Not magic, more like fever. Not moving, she stared at Xanthe.

Xanthe knew she was staring as well. An Akra-influenced thought drifted through her mind, with a little pang. _Alice would be about this old by now…_ Xanthe wondered sarcastically who Alice was.

"Who's that?" She asked.

"Alice, no last name given," Hayley replied. In a quieter voice, she added, "Probably a runaway." Kimberly came further inside, and Alice began to fumble with something under her t-shirt, something on a chain. Quietly, Hayley took Xanthe's pink duffel bag, and brought it upstairs.

"Hi," Xanthe said, crossing the room and sitting down beside Alice. The little girl flinched a little, still devouring the Hourglass Ranger with her eyes. Up close, Xanthe could see that she was scrawny and shaking. Her face was flushed.

"Y-you're…" Alice stammered, finally pulling out the chain. A gold, star-shaped locket swung at the end of it, and Xanthe stared at it. Another Akra thought: _It looks like…it can't be…_

"Alice? I'm Kimberly," Xanthe said, trying to smile reassuringly at the little girl. Alice was trying to open the locket. She swayed a little, and Xanthe caught her by the shoulders. Then the child fainted into her arms. Xanthe let out a cry of surprise, and Hayley ran back down the stairs.

"She fainted," Xanthe said, looking up at the ginger. Shaking her head, Hayley crossed the room and took the little girl. The locket slipped to the side and dangled. The name "Alice" was engraved on one side.

"She's running a temperature, I was going to take her to the hospital," Hayley said. Without moving her lips, she added "You know, she looks kind of like you." Xanthe bit back a growl: she'd dose herself as soon as she got the chance.

"I'll take her," Xanthe offered.

"Thanks," Hayley said, handing the Akra host back to the Aquitian. Xanthe gave the child a long, sad look, which Hayley noticed, and then got up. The Akra told her that she wanted to look at that locket, badly, but also to wait. It wasn't time yet.

* * *

Xanthe sat in a chair beside the hospital bed, gnawing on a knuckle and watching Alice sleep. The little girl was fully wired up, nasal cannula, heart monitor and all. Her breathing was labored and abnormally fast. Beside the Hourglass Ranger stood a female doctor, speaking quietly.

"According to the X-rays, she has viral pneumonia. We're starting treatments, but since she's advanced, we can't say how quickly she'll recover, if at all." The last three words hadn't been spoken. Xanthe was picking up everything now; the doctor, the people in the hallways, and Alice's fragmented dreaming. The latter seemed to want to be a flashback to the Akra host being abandoned on a doorstep as a baby, but couldn't focus. Xanthe felt a kind of twisted sympathy for it.

"Have you managed to find her guardian yet?" Xanthe asked. The doctor shook her head, but there was an odd look in her eye. Xanthe heard her trying to find a good way to phrase her question. "What is it?"

"Miss Hart, have you seen these photos?" She held up Alice's locket, and popped it open. Inside the two halves were two pictures; one of Kimberly, and one of Tommy, taken probably during their time as Rangers. Xanthe froze.

"I-I…" she shook her head. "Yes. That's me, and a friend of mine. Back in the early nineties or so." Biting her lip, she looked over at the sleeping Alice. Then she took a deep breath. "About seven years ago I had a little girl, but I gave her away because I couldn't take care of her, and I gave her a locket like that so we could maybe find each other later. But I don't know for sure that this is her."

"We could run a DNA test," the woman replied. "Then we can contact the adoption services and find her current guardians." Xanthe nodded, not looking away from the Akra host. Assuming that the Akra's vague memories were correct, though, there hadn't been any adoption services.

After a bit of fussing around, the doctor left with two hair samples from the pair. As the door closed, Xanthe's phone rang, and she fished it out of her purse. Flipping it open, she saw that Hayley was calling. For a second, the Aquitian was confused by the buttons, but after a second she figured it out.

"Hello?"

"Kim? How's Alice?" In the background, Xanthe could hear voices, and guessed that the Cyberspace Café had already opened for business. The Akra influence wondered if the Dino Rangers—and one in particular—had arrived yet.

"Not good. I'm going to stay here until all the tests come in, okay?"

"Are you sure? You just got in town, you must be tired. I can come in and watch her if you want," Hayley offered.

"No, thank you, this is something I want to do." Hayley was silent.

"Something else is going on, isn't it?" Xanthe nodded, caught herself, and coughed a little.

"I'll explain later. See ya—and don't tell Tommy I'm in town if you see him, okay?"

"Got it. Bye." Hayley had managed a small smile during the last bit. Xanthe hung up, and waited for a minute. Nobody else interrupted. Alice kept dreaming. With a shaky sigh, Xanthe pulled out her pocket dimension.

"H20-SP."

* * *

Xanthe fell asleep some time after taking her drugs. She was startled by the door opening, and the same lady doctor coming back inside. The afternoon sunlight flashed on her gold nametag, and she smiled kindly at Xanthe. Sitting up, Xanthe ran a hand through her hair, and stood up.

"We completed the DNA test. She's definitely your daughter, Miss Hart." Xanthe's knees went weak, and she sat down again. "We've been unable to locate her guardian, however."

"W-well, if you do, I'd like to talk to them," Xanthe said, looking yet again at the Akra host. She was still asleep, though there was more color in her face now. Nodding, the doctor slipped out—but someone in the hallway addressed her. The man's voice was very familiar.

"I'm looking for Kimberly Hart, have you seen her?" Tommy asked, as Xanthe whirled around. He spotted her before the doctor could reply, and grinned. "On second thought, never mind." Nodding, the doctor left, and Tommy came inside.

The door had barely swung shut before Xanthe sprang into Tommy's arms, seizing him in a hug. She knew she should probably feel embarrassed, but this timeline was going to be aborted anyway, nobody was getting hurt. Swinging her around, Tommy set her back down on her feet.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in town?" He asked.

"What, now you've forgotten how surprises work?" Xanthe teased, and he laughed. At the noise, Alice made a little noise, and Tommy quickly quieted down. He glanced over, and his expression softened.

"Hayley told us about the runaway she found in her back alley." Tommy sat down, and Xanthe took a few deep breaths. She fingered the locket, and wondered how to say this.

"Tommy…you remember when I broke up with you?" The Black Ranger winced.

"I was afraid you'd bring that up. Are you still with the other guy?" He sounded bitter.

"There wasn't another guy." Startled, Tommy looked up at her. He was starting to figure it out; Xanthe could see it behind his eyes. She wondered how much longer this charade was going to last. Probably until Alice woke up. "You remember when I wrote to you about my friend Marcia?"

"The other gymnast who got pregnant and got kicked out of the team?" Tommy smiled at her surprise. "I saved all of our old letters. Still read them. I don't want to forget that. I told you that if she wanted to keep her baby, she shouldn't listen to anybody and just do it, but if she was really that scared of being a mom, to put the baby up for adoption." Xanthe stifled a shudder at the sentimentality.

"There was no Marcia. Just me—and our baby." Even though he should have seen it coming, Tommy was thunderstruck. He looked from Xanthe to Alice and back, and his mouth moved silently. Xanthe nodded. "I was getting chased by monsters, even in Florida—she was actually born in the ER after I got in a monster fight. I gave her this locket," she handed it to Tommy, "And had her put up for adoption, just like you said."

Tommy finally found his voice, as he stared at the two photos. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I was scared." Xanthe hugged herself and sat back in her chair. She felt tears coming, and tried to breathe slowly. "Everyone was so mad—Coach Gunter, my Mom." She looked down at the floor, and flinched a little as Tommy grasped her chin.

"I thought you knew me better than that," the Black Ranger said softly. At that point, Alice stirred, and both Rangers sprang up. The Akra host began convulsing, and Xanthe darted over.

"Call the nurse or something!" She exclaimed, alarmed. Alice got all tangled up in the sheets, and her skin was burning hot. Xanthe couldn't tell whether the girl had actual pneumonia, or just an Akra mimicking the symptoms, but enough was enough. Besides, Time Force could treat her.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

 _Xanthe poses inside a clock tower, surrounded by bronzed cogs and wheels. The hourglass in her right hand shines green, and the sand bursts out. It covers her, forming her suit, and the image of the hourglass forms her helmet._

 _"Viridian Hourglass Ranger!"_

Pinning the little girl to the bed with an elbow, Xanthe pulled out her Hourglass Revolver, and snapped it into Trank Mode. Alice's eyes snapped open—they were bloodshot and bright with fever—and she recoiled.

"Hold still and this won't hurt, Alice—or whatever your name is," Xanthe hissed, and jabbed it into Alice's inner elbow. The little girl screamed, though her voice was raspy and weak, and tried to fight back. Xanthe pulled the Hourglass Revolver out, and flipped Alice onto her stomach. Since she was so small, Alice was quickly overpowered by the drug. The Akra, a blue-violet creature, was already coming into view on her back.

Xanthe grinned fiercely as she began peeling it off. She could work just fine without Garfield. Better, even—there weren't any Monitors. At least for now. They'd probably have trouble tracking just one Hourglass Ranger. It was better for both of them this way.


	14. Chapter 14: Angel Grove, Oct 12, 1998

**Angel Grove, October 12, 1998**

Garfield was roused by a portal opening. It was distinctly colder, now that he was paying attention, and he could hear a distant thrum of rain. As he sprang up, sore but ready for a fight, he heard a man's voice.

"Easy, easy, it's Time Force. We're on your side. Where's Xanthe?" Garfield sat down slowly, wincing a little. He heard footsteps on the rock, and a grunt of effort as someone picked Detra up. The Containment Jar clinked.

"I don't know. She left." Garfield shifted, and winced as his newer injuries twinged. Hearing a soft hiss, he turned his head towards the oncoming footsteps, and someone crouched down beside him. A hand grasped his shoulder, and he heard a strange electronic noise from somewhere in front of him. Then, in ones and twos, the bruises and cuts began to fade.

"It's a handheld regenerator. Best for minor injuries," a woman said from beside his ear. Garfield nodded, shook his head, and finally shrugged. Whatever.

"Harvey, I can't trace the portal signature, it's decayed too far already," another man called. The first speaker sighed.

"Brooks, we can't track your partner down. Do you think you can handle this on your own? If you want we can take you with us until we run into someone else."

"No, thank you. It might be better if I work alone for a little while," Garfield said. There was a click, and the woman let go of him. She did give him one clap on the shoulder first.

"Better?" She asked. Garfield nodded, and fishing something out, Sanchez handed him a metallic loop—a pocket dimension. "Then good luck, may the Power protect you."

"Sorry?" Garfield turned towards her. Standing up, Sanchez paused.

"You've never heard that before?" Garfield stood up himself, straightening his uniform. The now-dry blood on his shirt was starting to itch.

"Parallel universe. But I think I get what you mean. Live long and prosper?" Garfield made a Vulcan salute. He heard Sanchez chuckle softly.

"May the Force be with you, young Padawan."

* * *

"Ashley!" Garfield, seated with the Space Rangers, turned as the others did. A girl ran up to them, and Ashley got up to hug her.

"Kaylie! Hi! What are you doing here?" The Yellow Ranger exclaimed.

"Adelle's hired me to help out around here," Kaylie replied. She sounded about Ashley's age, and yes, Garfield could sense faint, vanilla-scented Akra influence. He smiled at her, along with everyone else.

"Who's your friend?" Andros asked.

"This is Kaylie Watson. We were BFFs through elementary school," Ashley replied. "Kaylie, these are Andros, TJ, Cassie and Carlos." Garfield knew he was being referred to, and leaned forward to shake Kaylie's hand. It was smaller than he'd expected, and he lingered a bit longer than was necessary. Cassie giggled, and Garfield sat back a little self-consciously.

"I hope you're not going to take up all of my newest employee's time," an older black woman said, coming over to the table. Garfield guessed by her gait that she was rather…larger than she needed to be, as his Mum used to put it.

"No, just saying hi," Kaylie replied. "I'll get right to work."

"Don't worry, I'm not cutting your pay for making friends." Adelle laughed. "Catch up all you want. It's a quiet day."

"Thanks." Kaylie sat down, and Adelle moved off, chuckling. There was a very quiet beep, and Garfield felt the others stiffen.

"I've got something to go take care of. It was nice meeting you, Kaylie," Andros said, rising.

"Okay, bye." Kaylie sounded a bit confused. The Red Ranger headed away, and the others exchanged glances. After an awkward pause, Kaylie turned towards Garfield. "Carlos, I think I've seen you around before—you play soccer, right?" Garfield fiddled with the cuff of his sleeve. Oh, right, soccer meant football in American.

"Yeah, a little." So he had a Spanish accent this time? Huh. He wondered if he'd have time to play around with it. Although Garfield probably wouldn't ever tell anyone, he'd spent almost an hour during his time as Flynn just saying random phrases to see how they sounded in a Scottish accent.

"I play too—but I'm not very good." Ashley snorted with stifled laughter.

"Didn't you once knock out the coach with the ball during tryouts?" She asked.

"Melanie distracted me!" Kaylie protested, though not too seriously. "Besides, it was just a concussion, he didn't get knocked out."

"Maybe I could give you some tips," Garfield offered.

"Thanks, I'd like that." An awkward silence resumed.

"I'm going to go check on Andros," TJ said, standing up. On the far side of the room there was a crash of breaking glass, and Kaylie sighed.

"How did I know Sylvie was going to drop that huge sundae?" She muttered, getting up.

"I'll help you clean it up," Ashley offered, and Kaylie gratefully accepted. Now Garfield was alone with Cassie. The Pink Ranger leaned over, and poked him in the arm.

"Some tips?" She teased.

"Hey, might as well help her not be a menace," Garfield protested.

"Riiight. Sure." Then Garfield heard a muffled sort of yell from the other end of the room. He turned towards it, frowning. Cassie grew serious. "What is it?"

"I thought I heard…" Garfield got up, pushing his chair out, and started towards what he guessed was an exit. Cassie followed him, moving very quietly. As they drew closer, Garfield heard shuffling noises, and many, soft footsteps.

Then his slightly extended hand bumped a door, and he stopped. Leaning against it, he and Cassie peeked through. The Pink Ranger hissed, and pulled the door shut.

"Pirahnatrons and Quantrons," she hissed. Those sounded like foot soldiers, so Garfield nodded grimly. The two slipped into an alcove, and raised their Astro Morphers.

"Let's Rocket!"

* * *

Adelle dumped a pair of trash bags into the black dumpster, and chuckled. She'd sensed the minute she'd met Kaylie that she and Carlos would make a great couple, and their meeting had only confirmed it. Now they just needed to forget about being awkward. Ah, teenagers

Unfortunately, that was when a veritable regiment of Pirahnatrons and Quantrons came around the corner of the alley. They filled it wall-to-wall, and barely making a noise, seized Adelle by the arms. The woman screamed and struggled, but a fishy hand quickly clamped over her mouth, stifling the cry. Adelle bit down, and it let go with a bubbling cry of pain.

"Let go of me! Help! Monsters!"

Adelle struggled, but the monsters wereso packed into the alley that she could barely move. Then there was a loud shout, and several foot soldiers on the edge of the crowd were blasted to the ground. Looking up, Adelle saw the Pink and Black Space Rangers charging forward, Astro Blasters at the ready.

"We're coming, Adelle!" The Pink Ranger yelled. Adelle couldn't see her, but she recognized Cassie's voice, and grinned in relief. She'd known practically from the beginning that those teens were Power Rangers.

"Hurry up!" Adelle shouted back. True to form, mere seconds later the Black Ranger shoved his way through the crowd, and caught her by the arm. They both ran as the foot soldiers closed in, Cassie keeping the monsters at bay.

"You guys are going to be _so_ sorry you messed with her!" The Pink Ranger shouted at the foot soldiers.

"Are you okay?" Carlos asked, finally stopping and steadying Adelle.

"Sure, fine," Adelle gasped, putting a hand on her chest. "You kids have great timing."

"Keep going!" The Pink Ranger yelled, firing a few more shots as she brought up the rear. They soon left the decimated foot soldiers behind, and slowed down. Hearing a shout, the Rangers turned, and a breathless man ran up to them.

"Liutenant Jerome Stone," he panted, and took Adelle by the arm. "I can see her safely back."

"Thanks," Carlos said, and he and Cassie ran off. Adelle and Lt. Stone sat down on a bench, and Adelle brushed her now-mussed hair out of her face.

"Well, that was different," the woman said, with a shaky laugh. Hearing running footsteps, she turned around to see Cassie and Carlos return, this time unmorphed.

"Adelle, are you okay?" Cassie asked, as they ran up to the pair.

"Fine, fine. How could anything happen to me with the Space Rangers around?" She asked, and winked. The teenagers exchanged a nervous glance, and Adelle grinned. She couldn't help teasing them sometimes. She'd known practically since she'd met them that they were the Space Rangers. "Come on, let's go make sure none of them got into the Surf Spot."

* * *

As it turned out, a few of the foot soldiers had invaded Adelle's business—though few enough for the unmorphed Rangers to frighten away with just fighting stances. A few glasses were broken, and all the furniture had been overturned, but not much else. Carlos began helping with the tables. With a humph, Adelle crossed the room and began helping Ashley with the scattered pool balls.

"Having any luck with your Lone Wolf?" Startled, Ashley glanced up at the older woman. Her eyes darted immediately to Andros, on the far side of the room trying to hang up a surfboard. Adelle grinned. "I saw that; don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about?"

Self-consciously, Ashley tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I…yeah, not much luck so far."

"How he doesn't notice you I will never know; it's like he's from another planet!" Adelle turned away, hearing a low chuckle from Ashley that made her grin.

"Yeah, I guess so." They finished picking up the pool balls, and Adelle went to help Carlos.

"Andros is blind," the Black Ranger said, as he picked up a chair and set it in place with a resentful thump. Adelle snorted.

"Oh, Andros will come around eventually. But I wouldn't spend too much time moping for Ashley." Carlos shrugged, not looking at Adelle. With a sly grin, the woman continued. "I know you've already met her friend Kaylie."

"Kaylie?" Come on, seriously? Adelle just shook her head. Men, sometimes.

"The pretty little brunette with the lethal soccer skills who hasn't taken her eyes off you since you met, that Kaylie?" Carlos didn't look at Adelle, but his ears turned pink, and she laughed. "I thought so. Why don't you go help her sweep up?"

"Not right now—"

"It's now or never, come on." Adelle swung Carlos around and gave him a shove towards the girl. Kaylie was busy sweeping up broken glasses, but seeing the pair coming, she dropped the broom and ran over to Adelle.

"Adelle, are you okay? I heard about those monsters, and the Rangers."

"Fine, the Rangers did a great job as always," Adelle replied with a laugh. "Would you two do me a favor and get some more trash bags from the back? I think we're gonna need them."

"Sure," Kaylie said. Carlos followed her to the back, and Adelle went to finish sweeping up the glass. She could hear them talking in low voices, and smiled. Two down, two to go. Adelle dumped the broken glass into a garbage bin.

* * *

Garfield walked into the alley, nearly hitting the not-very-far wall. As he stumbled back, Kaylie caught him by the shoulders. Another wave of vanilla filled his nostrils, which reminded Garfield of ice cream, and the last time he'd had the stuff. Stifling a wince, he wondered how Xanthe was doing.

"Carlos, are you okay? You seem distracted," Kaylie said.

"That's because I am," Garfield said, sliding out his Gyro Morpher. Now seemed as good a time as any to take care of the Akra. "Nice of you to notice, Akra."

"Sorry?"

"I forgive you. Sands of Time, Rise Up!" Kaylie sprang back as if she'd been burned as Garfield morphed, letting out a startled squeal. Spinning around, Garfield drew his Hourglass Revolver and fired. He heard the gas pellet burst, and Kaylie double over, coughing.

"What?" She wheezed.

"I thought you all knew about us by now. Guess you're not important enough to know about Toppled Hourglass," Garfield said, holstering his Hourglass Revolver. "Or else you're too stupid to notice all the fuss."

"…Not Carlos," Kaylie breathed. Diving forward, Garfield caught the Akra host as she fainted, her hair falling over his shoulder.

"Right, I'm guessing door number two, then."

That was when a wide hand clamped down on his shoulder, and Garfield was slammed into the alley wall. Winded, he caught his attacker by the wrist and twisted, drawing a female grunt from the stranger.

"Actually, I think you're the stupid one, Hourglass Ranger," Adelle said, and her heel slammed into the side of Garfield's head. Half-stunned, he staggered back, groping for his Hourglass Revolver. But it wasn't in the holster. Hearing a click, he realized that Adelle had grabbed it. "You fell for that decoy hook, line and sinker, didn't you?"

Garfield groaned, both in pain and irritation. Rubbing his head—or trying to; the helmet didn't help—he stepped back. The Akra host kept him in her sights. "I was starting to suspect the whole Yenta act."

"Sorry?"

"Yenta? Matchmaker," Garfield explained. "Punjab Lasso, Phantom Noose!" Adelle pulled the trigger, but Garfield's rope wasn't affected by the gas, and it snared her by the throat. Yanking the cord, Garfield dragged the larger woman right into the cloud, and caught her in a weird, backwards hug to keep her there.

She struggled for a long time. Garfield guessed the gas was taking longer because Adelle was bigger. He could feel the Akra struggling, and its tendrils started trying to dig into his wrists. But at last, Adelle collapsed, and her Akra began peeling off as though it was desperate to escape.

Exhausted and sore, Garfield stumbled back and sat down hard, panting. They were getting smarter. Not smart enough—Adelle had nearly started monologuing there—but enough to be a problem. They weren't just going for the young pretties anymore. Anyone could be an Akra. He'd have to pay more attention to Akra influence in the future. He pulled out his new pocket dimension.


	15. Chapter 15: The Hexagram, June 9th, 2011

**The Hexagram, June 9th, 2011**

Harvey and Sanchez stepped through the portal, and glanced around. They stood in a wide, all-black room, barely lit. A few weapons glinted on a rack against one far wall. The air smelled recycled and slightly fishy.

It only took the corporals a second to spot the Akra host, lying face-down on the floor nearby. He had red hair, and wore a lot of black leather, metal, and rather more makeup than most early 21st-century men. Nodding, the pair hurried over, and Harvey threw the host over his shoulder in a fireman's hold.

"What's this?" Sanchez asked suddenly, looking at the Containment Jar beside him. Inside it lay a tiny, curled-up blue Akra. Most of the things were about the size of a small pizza, but this would have fit in Sanchez's fist. She took up the jar.

"Something new that we need to scan," Harvey replied, and lurched back towards the portal. Sanchez followed quickly. They came through the wall into a tiny sickbay, with one bed and a wall full of medical supplies. It was part of their Time Force ship.

"Nicholson, get in here," Sanchez said into the intercom, as Harvey laid the Akra host down on one of the beds. The teenager groaned a little, and grabbing a thick, bracelet-like device, Harvey snapped it shut around his upper arm. A little screen on the back lit up, and multicolored lines of lasers zigzagged across it.

"Okay, he seems fine—actually, better than most hosts," Harvey said. The door slid open to let Nicholson in, and the officer quickly joined Sanchez. She'd opened up a little table set in the wall, and was already scanning the Akra with a tricorder-like device.

"It's very weak—actually, I think it's dying," Sanchez said, typing in a command. Nicholson promptly grabbed the machine out of her hands and started working on it himself. Rolling her eyes, Sanchez continued. "There aren't any telepathic signals coming from it. It may not even be intelligent."

Pointing the machine at the Akra, Nicholson walked around to the other side—squeezing past Harvey to do it. The Akra host was waking up now, and Harvey took off the medical bracelet. His eyes opened—they were yellow. He stared wildly around the room, trying to sit up, and Harvey caught him.

"Easy, easy, you're fine. We've gotten you away from the Akra, and we're going to take you home," Harvey soothed. The teenager looked up at him, and then down at himself. He frowned at the getup.

"What is this?" Then, slowly, the memories started to come back. A bewildered expression grew on his face, and he swiped at the makeup. "Oh, yeah…" he flushed. Then the teen turned towards Harvey. "Where's my brother? I'm Peter Ulrich, his name is Vladimir, we're twins."

"It's a decoy," Nicholson said suddenly. Harvey and Pavel looked over at him. "A living transmitter—it just redirects and amplifies another Akra's telepathy. The real Akra's probably still in the timeline."

"Will the Rangers find it? They should jump to the nearest powerful Akra," Sanchez said. Nicholson shrugged.

"I think I know where his brother went, though," Nicholson added, nodding towards Peter. The teenager didn't look comforted.

* * *

Xanthe looked around, completely bewildered. She was back in the same alley as last time—but now she was the Green Monster Ranger, not Yellow. The Yellow and Black Rangers crouched nearby, waiting. A street light flickered stubbornly at the end of the street, refusing to give up the ghost, and everything was slick with rain. Right when they had last time, footsteps clumped towards them.

Very, very confused, Xanthe looked around. It was only one of the boys from last time, the dark blond. The Goth was nowhere to be seen. That finally let Xanthe breathe; she wasn't trapped in some kind of time loop.

"What makes you so sure?" The voice made her jump. It wasn't either of her teammates, but a woman—Xanthe knew which one. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed something white fluttering. Clenching her fists and teeth, the Aquitian ignored it. "It would be a fitting punishment, wouldn't it—each Akra you destroy is replaced by yet another, while you go in circles trying to hunt them all down. Maybe you've died and gone to Hell, or Purgatory, or wherever bad Aquitians go when they die."

Xanthe gave her head a shake. More H2O-SP, just as soon as she'd completed this part of the mission. The others were looking at her strangely, but they quickly focused on their prey again. The oncoming teen's clothes were a little ragged, and his shoes squeaked damply.

"Now," the Yellow Ranger—Layla—hissed, and all three sprang out of the shadows. Seizing the boy by the elbow, Xanthe twisted his arm behind his back. He struggled, and the Black Ranger caught him by the ankles as he tried to kick. Catching his other arm, Layla trapped him in a half-nelson, and they teleported away.

The group materialized in a very black room, where the rest of the Monster Rangers waited for them—sans Red. Ivan Ooze turned away from the teleport controls, and glided back over to the others. Marco, the White Ranger and team mentor, folded his arms and looked hard at the newcomer.

"Vladimir Ulrich?" His British accent made Xanthe remember Garfield, but she shook that thought away as well. No time for this, and it made no difference anyway. The boy stopped struggling, and glowered at Marco and Ooze. The morphological being let out a noise of exaggerated pain, and staggered back, clutching his chest.

"Oh, if looks could kill!" Marco shot him an irritated glare, and came up to Vladimir.

"I find myself in need of a new Red Ranger, and you fit the bill nicely. Will you join us voluntarily?"

"I'd rather die," Vladimir spat. Marco quirked an eyebrow.

"I see, very noble of you. However, I actually planned on having you watch me torture your brother to death or insanity before killing you if you refused." Vladimir's face fell. "I'll let you think about it, don't worry. Lock him up downstairs." He gestured, and the three Monster Rangers dragged Vladimir back three steps.

One push of a secret button, and that section of floor revealed itself as an elevator platform. They sank down through two floors—one wide and containing only a rack of weapons and one full of computers—into a hall. Opening a thick metal door, the Rangers pulled Vladimir into a round room ringed with cells. There was about a foot of water on the floor, having leaked in from the lake outside. Shoving Vladimir into another, the Rangers locked the door and left.

Splitting off from the other two, Xanthe headed to her own quarters. They branched out from the main training room, and even though all of the doors looked the same, Xanthe figured them out quickly. She'd been here before, very recently.

The room was barely furnished with a single, very uncomfortable bed-table, a closet and a bathroom. Arguably safe and alone at last, the Aquitian pulled out her pocket dimension. She needed her H2O-SP, badly. Her hands shook as she reached into the portal, grasping the case.

"You think getting your fix will scare me away? Has it worked before?" The Unicorn Ranger said in her ear. Xanthe, with the box half-open, let out a cry and dropped it. The glass shattered, and blue liquid splattered on the floor. Frantically, Xanthe crouched down and began trying to sweep together the mess with her hands as the White Ranger laughed.

"If you're real, then fight me and get it over with!" Xanthe cried. But looking around, she couldn't see the woman. The laughter went on, though, only getting louder as Xanthe clamped her hands over her ears. Blue H2O-SP ran down her fingers and glopped on her uniform, and she desperately tried to take control of her thoughts.

Xanthe wasn't sure how much later it was when she realized what she was doing. With a jolt, she looked around the room. It was silent and empty. There were a few bleeding cuts on her hands, and little maroon trails streaked the puddle of H2O-SP. The Gyro Morpher didn't change her blood color, apparently.

Xanthe took a long, shaky breath, and went into the bathroom. She'd just clean this up and make more, like last time. This base had to have a chemical lab; yes, now that she was thinking about it, Xanthe remembered that these Rangers had a special Monster Formula which they healed themselves with. This wasn't a problem.

* * *

"Hello?" Vladimir jumped a little, startled by the male voice. Looking up, the Akra host spotted a boy about his age in the cell opposite his, standing and grasping the bars. The stranger's skin was albino-white, his eyes red, and his hair brown. His black jumpsuit was striped with red.

"You're the guy I'm replacing, aren't you?" Vladimir asked, turning towards the stranger. He nodded. "Why? What did you do to get Mr. Grape and the Cockney Ranger mad at you?" That drew a very quiet chuckle from the other man.

"Try to kill them." Vladimir stood up, wincing as dank, icy water soaked into his shoes at once. He waded towards the Red Ranger. "Revenge. I thought I had it all planned out, but they outsmarted me." He shrugged. "I'm Charlie, by the way."

"Vladimir." The Akra host glanced around. He couldn't see any cameras, but that wasn't a guarantee. Leaning forward, he hissed, "Are we being watched?"

"No. We're free to talk, as long as nobody walks in," Charlie replied. "But keep your voice down." Vladimir nodded. "You don't want to help Marco or Ivan Ooze, do you?"

"Would I be down here if I did? But he's got my brother; I don't know what else I can do," Vladimir muttered, folding his arms and resting his forehead against the bars. His toes were going numb, and he wriggled them a little.

"Take him down from the inside," Charlie replied. Vladimir looked up. "I've been working on turning the other Rangers. Jacob—Blue—is already on the right side, and even though he's not very competent, he's your best ally right now. Thanks to him, Heather—Green Ranger—is coming around."

"Got it. What about you?" Charlie shook his head. His lips were turning blue with cold, and he hugged himself.

"Our morphers are linked to our life forces—once you're part of the team, Marco's going to have to kill me. Don't worry about it, there's nothing you can do. Just…take care of Joey, will you? The Black Ranger. He hasn't been right in the head since we blasted the Weeping Angels. Here." Charlie slipped a folded bit of paper out of his sleeve, and tossed it to Vladimir. "My last plan. See if you can let Jacob know." Vladimir nodded, tucking the paper into his pocket.

That was when the door slid open, and Marco and Layla came inside. Charlie straightened, and Vladimir backed up a step. Layla, having demorphed into an African-American girl with all-black eyes, gave Charlie a long look. Ignoring his former Red Ranger, Marco went right up to Vladimir.

"Made up your mind yet, boy?" Vladimir's gaze flicked towards Charlie. The Red Ranger's expression was impassive. Marco noted the look, and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll do it." Marco nodded, looking satisfied, and unlocked the door.

"Layla will show you the way to your quarters," he said, and the Yellow Ranger stepped forward. With one final look at Charlie, Vladimir followed Layla out.

As they took an elevator up, though, Vladimir saw the Green Ranger slip down a hallway. It turned out she had green skin; Vladimir guessed it was the same reason as his other teammates' physical oddities. The Akra host wondered what she was doing. Then he realized that he should know, seeing as he'd planned this entire event.

Frowning, Vladimir stepped off the elevator pad. Layla made as if to follow him, but Vladimir just mentally ordered her to stay, and the Yellow Ranger obeyed. Heading after the disappearing Green Ranger, Vladimir wondered exactly what she was up to. He guessed she was Toppled Hourglass—who else?—but was she creating some kind of weapon? Gathering allies?

As Vladimir rounded the corner, he ran right into Heather. They both fell down, and a set of beakers fell out of her hand. They clinked on the floor, spilling a little, but the Green Ranger seized them with a cry and righted them. Everything clicked in Vladimir's mind, and he grinned. He was glad the Monitors hadn't shown up—he wanted to handle this one himself.

"Sorry," "Heather" was saying, as she stood up, holding the beakers. Casually, Vladimir slapped them out of her hands, and planted one wet sneaker on the glass. It crunched, and the imposter's eyes widened. Vladimir smirked.

"Hello, Xanthe. Or rather, goodbye." The Akra stretched out across Vladimir, glinting red against his skin, and he caught her by the wrist. He could sense how tangled her mind was, thanks to the Queen, and easily spotted her upcoming kick. Ducking aside, Vladimir trapped Xanthe in a half-nelson, forcing her into a crouch.

Vladimir was so intent on the struggling Aquitian that he didn't even see the other person coming up behind him. Xanthe let out a cry of pain, and Vladimir laughed—just as a cloud of violet gas enveloped him. Startled, Vladimir whirled around, releasing Xanthe. Through the smoke, which was already making him woozy, he saw another Hourglass Ranger, holding a revolver. Despite blurring vision, Vladimir saw that the helmet had shaped ears. Then he blacked out.


	16. Chapter 16: Delta Base, March 28th, 2025

**Delta Base, March 28th, 2025**

Z scanned the C-Squad cadets, all busily sparring with Blueheads. The other Rangers watched as well, taking notes and making quiet comments. Well, except Sky. The Blue Ranger had stopped writing, and was gazing blankly in the general direction of the fight. Raising an eyebrow, Z slid over to him, and poked him in the arm with her pen.

"Sky?" He jumped a little.

"Have you noticed that cadet?" He pointed to a young woman in one corner, currently engaged in beating the stuffing out of a Bluehead. Z snorted: how could she miss that violently magenta hair, or the constant shouting?

"She's fierce," Z replied. Glancing at the notes, she read the girl's name. "Stefanee Wong."

"And effective. Look at how all the others are doing," Sky gestured around. Z had to admit, even though C-Squad had started strong, the Blueheads were getting the better of them. As the cadets grew tired, they got sloppier, and started taking more hits. All but that one girl—she only fought harder, her yells getting louder and harsher with each kick and punch.

"Attention!" Jack shouted. The combatants stopped, and Syd casually deactivated the holographic Blueheads. As the cadets lined up in a row, panting, she turned off the simulator. The Red Ranger checked over the others' notes, and then stepped forward.

"Good job, but not good enough. If these had been real Troobians, you'd be in serious trouble. You've got some more practice to do on this level."

At this, Stefanee exploded. "You can't score all of us together! It's not fair!"

"Is it?" Sky asked, looking her in the eye. Jack gave him an irritated glance, but the Blue Ranger went right up to Stefanee. "You'll be fighting as a team, so you'll be scored as one. Do you really think you could fight off all those Blueheads after they'd taken out your team?"

"You tell me!" Stefanee punched Sky in the stomach, and he doubled over with a whoosh of breath. The Rangers' jaws dropped, and Syd ran over to help Sky. Eyeing the cadet, the pair backed out of reach. "Would that take out a Bluehead?"

"Probably, but it's also put you under discipline," Jack replied. Eyes narrowing, Stefanee whirled on him, but the Red Ranger caught her by the wrist. "And if I were you, I'd stop while I was just getting kitchen detail."

"Yeah? Well, you're not me, Robin Hood." Stefanee whirled around, throwing Jack over her shoulder in a judo throw.

"Jack!" Z darted forward, only to get a karate chop across the back of the neck. Pain shot down her spine, and she fell to her hands and knees. Backing up, Stefanee laughed.

"And I thought you guys were supposed to be better than us!"

"Cadet Wong!" Commander Cruger's voice was angrier than any of the Rangers had ever heard—or wanted to hear. Stefanee whirled around as the Sirian came inside, and folded her arms. Cruger was visibly simmering. "Stand down immediately, and consider yourself suspended until further notice." Stefanee's face darkened, but she nodded. Apparently she drew the line at attacking the base commander.

Bridge helped Jack and Z up as Stefanee left the room, followed by Cruger. The Green Ranger shook his head.

"I would not want to be her right now. Well, I guess I'd like to be able to fight like that, but not against you guys, since if I were her, you'd outrank me, plus I like you guys, but maybe I wouldn't if I was her—"

"Thank you, Bridge," Z cut him off. Bridge stopped talking, and the C and B Squads limped out of the simulator.

* * *

"I know, I know, I've heard it before," Stefanee said, glaring down at her boots. They hadn't been polished, but Cruger either hadn't noticed or wasn't concerned. Stefanee smirked a little.

"You don't seem to be listening, cadet. This is the third outburst you've had in the last two months, and the second attack on a superior officer. If you continue this behavior, I will have no choice but to expel you from the Academy." That got Stefanee's attention.

"You can't—I don't have anywhere else to go!" Stefanee protested.

"Then maybe you should start taking me seriously. Dismissed." Glaring daggers, Stefanee snapped off a crisp salute, and headed down the hall. She already knew where to go—SPD hardly needed a janitor anymore, the way Stefanee kept getting in trouble.

The broom closet was unlocked and ready for Stefanee when she arrived, and Boom had left a note on the door. Reading it, Stefanee groaned: the main cleaner was broken; she was stuck with the old vacuum, and without Boom actually there to tell her, she had no one to punch to make herself feel better. Shaking her head, Stefanee gathered the clattering equipment.

Deciding to clean out B-Squad's quarters, Stefanee headed that way. All of the other officers and technicians made way for her, avoiding eye contact. That made Stefanee feel a little better, but she still hadn't forgotten Cruger's threat to kick her out.

B-Squad was clean, at least. They were also out, probably on a training exercise of their own, and Stefanee was left to clean in peace. She almost decided to set some pranks, but knew she was pushing the boundaries as it was. Even so, Stefanee couldn't resist rearranging Syd's toys a little. She was too old for those fluffy things anyway.

Then, opening Sky's door, Stefanee was startled to see the Blue Ranger sitting on his bed. He was so engrossed in the framed photo on his lap that he didn't see her for a second. Stefanee coughed, and Sky jumped, quickly hiding the picture behind his back.

"What are you doing here?"

"Cleaning detail, what else?" Stefanee started to leave, but Sky got up.

"It's fine, I can go." Stefanee stared at him for a moment, and then came inside. Going straight to the photo, she picked it up and looked at it. A little boy—probably Sky himself—sat with a Red Ranger, who held his helmet on his knee.

"Your Dad?" She asked. "Is this why you want to be Red so badly, to be like him?" Sky yanked the picture out of her hands.

"None of your business, cadet."

"You're right, it isn't. Besides, I have to be wrong—you'd understand how I feel if you were that much like me," Stefanee replied airily, plugging in the vacuum. Sky, halfway out the door, paused.

"What are you talking about?"

"If you wanted to be the best, you'd understand why I hate getting scored with the losers in C-Squad, or getting bossed around by smug kids the same age as me for speaking my mind," Stefanee replied. She turned on the vacuum, and the noise drowned out any reply Sky had. He tried to shout over it, but Stefanee just got to work, humming loudly.

"Hey!" Sky turned off the vacuum, and Stefanee turned to face him. Sky shook his head. "Okay, I'm sorry about that. I do know what it feels like to get passed over." Stefanee looked at him for a long minute, and slowly, a smile crept across her face.

"Well, that's something, at least. Hey, maybe if I get into another fight with Jack and seriously hurt him, you'll get promoted."

"Don't you dare!" Sky snapped—but Stefanee saw the flash of glee in his eyes at the thought.

"Fine, if that's what I get for trying to help," she retorted, turning back to the vacuum. "Risking my neck to get you what you want, but no, go ahead and stay Blue for all I care."

"You couldn't do anything serious to Jack—he mopped the pavement with me and Bridge before he was even a Ranger. Yeah, you're good, but only for C-Squad." At that, Stefanee whirled around and punched Sky in the jaw. Her knuckles stung, but immense satisfaction welled over her as the Blue Ranger staggered back.

"Sky?" Stefanee froze, and so did Sky. The two looked through the door to see the rest of B-Squad staring at them. Jack glared at Stefanee. "What's going on in here?"

"Nothing," Sky replied, straightening and rubbing his jaw. "I asked cadet Wong to help me try a new blocking move. As you can see, it still needs some work." That drew a smile from Jack, and he relaxed.

"Okay, so long as you asked for it. Obstacle course in fifteen minutes, okay?"

"Got it." B-Squad hurried out, and Stefanee stared at Sky incredulously.

"I did ask for it," he said, shrugging. Stefanee's jaw worked silently for a moment.

"Y-you just saved me from getting expelled," she stammered.

"Good. We need fighters like you around—though it'd be better if you focused more on the Troobians than your fellow officers," Sky said laughingly. He clapped Stefanee on the shoulder and walked out. After the outside door slid shut, Stefanee snapped out of her shock. With an incredulous laugh, she began vacuuming.

Thanks to the loud noise of the outdated machine, Stefanee didn't hear the noises of fighting for a good ten minutes. She was only startled out of her work by an unknown Blue Ranger falling into the room. Whirling around, Stefanee turned off the vacuum to see a trio of Monitors enter, quickly surrounding the fallen stranger.

"Stay back!" One warned. Stefanee took a step forward, torn. Her Akra was torn between her automatic urge to defy orders and fear of the stranger. He flipped himself onto his feet and circled, watching the Monitors.

"He's an Hourglass Ranger," one of the women warned. "He's been impersonating Sky. We'll have to reset the timeline."

"Reset—I'll have to do everything all over again?" Stefanee cried.

"Afraid so." The Hourglass Ranger sprang for a Monitor, yelling for his weapon. A blue rope snapped out of the air, snaring one of the other Monitors around the throat. As if it had a life of its own, the cord lifted her into the air and swung her out, flattening the only man in the group to the floor.

"That's not fair!" The remaining Monitor looked over at Stefanee incredulously.

"Fair? You're only supposed to do this to SPD, not us!" She snapped. Stefanee's hands automatically clenched into fists. Who were they to give her orders—oh, right, the ones who'd given her this timeline. The rebellious side of Stefanee grumbled anyway.

The Hourglass Ranger had already drawn a revolver, and was shooting the room full of gas. The woman somersaulted under the Hourglass Ranger's shots, seized his wrist and forced his arm up with a jerk. He yelled, and the gun fell from his fingers. Struggling to his feet, the man gestured, and the gas swirled into a ball in his hand. It squeezed tighter and tighter, and then fell to the floor, compressed back into a pellet.

"Somehow I know you just did something cool," the Ranger said. He was British. Then he kicked the Monitor holding his arm in the stomach, backflipping out of her grasp. She stumbled, and he took advantage of the moment to catch her in a headlock, swing her around and slam her skull into a wall. The woman went as limp as one of Mora's rag dolls.

"Xylithenia!" The other woman cried, and flung a wave of yellow energy at the Ranger. He hit the doors, denting them, and crumpled. For a long minute, he didn't move. Panting, the Monitors exchanged a look, and then the man came towards the Ranger.

As he was crouching to check on the stranger, Hourglass Cerulean seized him by the throat and sprang up, catching the other Monitor's second blast on the man. That Monitor went down, and Hourglass Cerulean tossed him aside, facing the final Monitor.

"Don't just stand there, help me!" The woman yelled, looking over at Stefanee. Nodding, Stefanee charged forward, feeling her Akra spread out and draw in its energy. But that horrible Punjab Lasso appeared again, catching Stefanee around the throat. It picked her up in the air and cracked like a whip, snapping Stefanee's head back painfully.

As the Akra host choked, Hourglass Cerulean charged the remaining Monitor. She kept firing laser blasts at him, but he ducked and jumped and swerved out of the way. At last, she tried to duck aside—only to run right into Stefanee. The Ranger had swung her right in the way. Both women fell, quickly tangling themselves in the Punjab Lasso.

"Nighty night, ladies," Hourglass Cerulean panted, drawing his Hourglass Revolver. He fired a few shots, and blue smoke filled Stefanee's vision. She coughed, and clawed at the rope, but the drugs were already working. In a panic, she tried to reach out to the Akra Queen. Nothing. She was too far away. Then everything went black.


	17. Chapter 17: Panorama City, Mar 22, 2011

**The Hexagram, June 9** **th** **, 2011**

"Who are you?" Xanthe asked, as the Russet Hourglass Ranger finished locking away Vladimir's Akra. The Sirian stood up, holding out a hand to Xanthe. Shakily, Xanthe took it, looking back at the puddle of H2O-SP as she was pulled to her feet. She wobbled a little, and the Sirian steadied her.

"Isinia Cruger of Sirius. You?"

"Xanthe of Aquitar. Y-you're one of the original Rangers," Xanthe stammered, as the two left the room. She heard a portal open as they left, and glanced back as the doors shut, glimpsing the Time Force sigil on the newcomers' uniforms.

"Possibly the last. Are you alone?"

"Yes—but I was traveling with a recruited Cerulean Ranger," Xanthe said. Isinia stopped, glancing around. No one was coming—at least, not yet. The white hallways were silent. "And we encountered a fake Amaranth Ranger, but we subdued her." Isinia nodded slowly.

"Are you all right?" She turned towards Xanthe.

"Dehydrated," Xanthe admitted. "Do you have any H2O-SP? Urisus would have used it." Isinia shook her head. Her orange, oval visor glinted in the fluorescent light.

"I'm sorry, no. But we are under a lake; you could rehydrate here."

"Only if the water is pure enough—and what about Monitors?"

"Good point. Do you think you could make it into another timeline?" Isinia asked. Xanthe nodded.

"So long as I don't get a major role. My Gyro Morpher's still running."

"You don't know how to deactivate it?" Isinia sounded surprised. Finding the chain, she tugged the morpher out from under Xanthe's uniform, and pressed a button on top of the little hourglass. The sand spun up, glowing, and with a green flash, Xanthe became herself again. She looked down at herself, startled, and then back at Isinia.

"I-I guess you learn something new every day," she said, gratified to hear her own voice again. Isinia chuckled, and pulled out her Portal Pointer.

"We may still be separated upon arrival. There's no way to guarantee we arrive after Aquitar's first contact, so try to stay out of sight. I'll find you, all right?" Xanthe nodded, and Isinia fired the portal into the floor. The two fell through with a flash.

* * *

 **The Sanzu River, March 22** **nd** **, 2011**

Xanthe stumbled as she came out of the portal, and looked around wildly. She was alone in the cramped cabin of a wooden sailing ship, and the outside light was dull red. Her disguise generator had already activated, and it took her a moment to realize that she was now Dayu. The other Ranger—Russet—hadn't had any time to explain, thanks to incoming Monitors, and now they were both in place. Hopefully they'd find each other soon.

Catching her breath, Xanthe grasped her harmonium more firmly, and headed out of the cabin. Might as well play her part until it was time. The ship creaked as it rocked, and water splashed against the hull. Just hearing it made Xanthe feel more dehydrated.

"Ooh-ah-ooh! Master Xandred, look what we pulled out of the Sanzu River!" That was…Octoroo, Master Xandred's main technical advisor. Xanthe tried to focus on the conversation, to keep her mind off—no, don't think about water. Or that Puttying laughter; there was no Unicorn Ranger!

"Don't play around with me, I've got a headache!" Coming out of the cabin, Xanthe looked down to see a teenage girl soaking wet, lying on the deck. She moaned as Master Xandred stomped around the deck. Quietly, the Aquitian sat down and took up her harmonium. She had never played the thing before, but fortunately the monsters had no musical taste, and couldn't tell random strumming from actual playing.

"She just fell out of the sky, Master. I have no idea why she didn't just burn up in the River water. She's no ordinary human, that's for sure," Octoroo continued. He nudged the Akra host in the ribs with his staff.

"Are you paying attention, Xanthe?" It was her mother, of all people. At least, Xanthe thought it was her mother. The Aquitian made as if to cover her ears, but stopped. She didn't want to attract unnecessary attention. "You're on a river. You can rehydrate."

The girl groanedagain, her eyes fluttering open.

"Purple eyes, too? Perhaps she could be of some use to us." Master Xandred sat down beside her as she sat up. Now the Akra began to speak, looking around the ship in bewilderment.

"Where am I? Wait…" alarm grew in her face. "Who am I? Who are you? Do I know you?"

"You do," Master Xandred said. "You are my Black Ranger, Katana, and we thought those horrible Samurai Rangers had destroyed you." The Akra host put a damp, pale hand on her forehead.

"My head…I can't remember anything."

"Octoroo, make some of that medicine you're always forcing on me, maybe it'll do her some good!" Master Xandred barked.

"At once," Octoroo replied, and waddled away. He brushed past Xanthe, chuckling to himself. With a sigh—hopefully it sounded suitably bored—Xanthe got up, and headed off her own way.

"Xanthe, you're hallucinating," her mother's voice continued, growing weirdly distorted. "You need to rehydrate. No one will see you if you're quick, not even the Furrywarts—but who'd believe them anyway?" Xanthe smacked aside a bamboo screen, stomping up on deck. The sky overhead was very reddish, and the sails flapped a little in the wind.

"Shut up," Xanthe growled. The voice began laughing, and it grated on Xanthe's already frayed nerves. She had to make them stop, and she had no H2O—SP. The Sanzu River was her only option. Xanthe went to the railing, swung a leg over it, and looked down at the murky, scarlet water. It didn't look—or smell—like normal water, and she hesitated. Pollution this bad could only make things worse.

"Xanthe." Not her again. Cringing, Xanthe looked around. The Unicorn Ranger leaned against the mast, looking at her. The reddish light gave her uniform a pink sheen. With a little laugh, she cocked her head to the side. "Are you going to stand there all day?"

"You are not real," Xanthe said, as clearly as she could. A foul wind tugged at her kimono's sleeves, and she set down her harmonium. "Go away."

"I won't go away until you've rehydrated. That's how hallucinations work, in this case anyway," the Unicorn Ranger replied, and strolled towards Xanthe. "Do you need me to give you a boost?"

"If you'd disappear when I rehydrated, why would you want me to fix that? You're up to something," Xanthe retorted, grasping the railing. The rubbery Nighlok skin of her disguise shielded her from splinters.

"I'm part of your brain, and you're arguing with me and accusing me of plotting against you. That's generally a bad sign, I think." The Unicorn Ranger twirled her finger beside her helmet, and giggled a little. Xanthe took a deep breath, and tried to force the hallucinations back.

"Up to something! Something! Something!" A cluster of Furrywarts sprang out of the woodwork, giggling and chanting. With a startled cry, Xanthe lost her balance and fell overboard. Seizing a beam, she caught herself halfway down the ship's side , and for a moment, thought she was safe. Xanthe took a ragged breath.

Then the ship swung forward, and Sanzu River water splashed up against the hull. The second the reddish liquid hit Xanthe's legs, it burst into flames. With a scream, Xanthe began trying to kick the fire out. She nearly lost her grip, and the Furrywarts kept taunting her.

Just as Xanthe's fingers slipped, a slim white hand shot out the window and caught her by the wrist. Xanthe grabbed it, and was dragged back inside by "Katana." Quickly, the Akra host threw Xanthe on the floor and beat the fire out. Then she sat down, and panted.

"What happened?" Katana asked. Xanthe just shook her head, breathless. She glanced down: bloody maroon burns dotted her legs, several still smoking. They all throbbed, and Xanthe bit down on a fistful of her sleeve to stifle her scream. She could still hear the Unicorn Ranger laughing, distantly, but the pain at least made that easier to ignore.

"I-I think it's my half-human side," Xanthe managed. "Sanzu River water makes Nighlok stronger, but it isn't very healthy for humans." She regretted the lie the instant it left her lips, and cringed the Akra gave her a long, considering look.

"You're half-human?" Xanthe let herself breathe again, and Katana tore off one of her own sleeves to bandage Xanthe's burns. This Akra didn't know how the Nighlok worked. Glancing around at the still-chattering Furrywarts, Katana waved them away, and they vanished with unusual speed.

"I made a bargain with a Nighlok King a long time ago. It's a complicated story," Xanthe said, cutting herself off with a yelp as Katana started dabbing at the wounds.

"I'd like to hear it," Katana replied softly. "If it wouldn't hurt you too much." Xanthe sighed and lay back. This she could handle.

* * *

Isinia, now disguised as Mia, stood at her console inside the Samurai Megazord. It hadn't taken her long to adjust to the trip, and she grinned beneath her helmet as Jayden announced their victory. But as the smoke from the destroyed Nighlok blew away, there was a white flash in front of them. A portal opened up in the sky, and a dark blur fell out of it.

"What was that?" Kevin asked, craning his neck to see.

"It looked like a person," Emily said. With unvoiced consent, the Rangers disassembled their Zords, and ran across the quarry. It turned out to be a person, a man. He lay on the gravel, unmoving, as the Rangers gathered around him. His hair was dark brown, his skin very pale, and he was dirty and banged-up. He wasn't an existing Ranger, and Isinia guessed that she had her Akra host.

"Is he okay?" Isinia asked, sounding more anxious than she felt. Jayden rolled the stranger over, ignoring the possibility of internal injuries, and spotted the device on the man's wrist. Isinia recognized it as a Transmorpher, though its gold ring and silver casing had swapped colors, and it looked broken.

"I think we've got another Ranger," Jayden said, nodding to the device. "Kevin, help me carry him back to Shiba House." Nodding, the Blue Ranger moved in to help, and the pair formed a human chair. The stranger groaned a little as they picked him up, and Emily and Isinia quickly steadied him.

The trip back to Shiba House was quick, although they were on foot. Mentor Ji came out as they arrived, and darted over to them. He looked the stranger up and down, not really hearing Jayden's explanation, and his eye fastened on the Transmorpher.

"At last," he said softly, and took up the man's wrist. Quickly, he undid the strap and pulled off the Transmorpher, scanning it quickly. "Take him to the infirmary, hurry!" He said over his shoulder. The Rangers complied.

It wasn't even five minutes later when the stranger woke up. He sat up with a shout, nearly bumping into Emily. The Yellow Ranger recoiled with a startled noise, and the stranger looked around wildly. The others hurried into the room.

"Who are you?" The stranger demanded, glaring suspiciously. "What is this place? Where's Vannessa?" The Samurai exchanged bewildered looks.

"Look, calm down, we're Rangers too," Mike said, putting up his hands. "You fell out of a portal or something, and we brought you back to our base, and we don't know anything about a Vannessa." The stranger didn't look very convinced.

"Jayden Shiba, Red Samurai Ranger. You're among friends," Jayden said, stepping forward and holding out his hand. Slowly, the other Ranger looked him up and down. Probably realizing that the Samurai could have easily killed him instead of treating his wounds, he nodded and shook Jayden's hand.

"Drian of Eltar, son of Zordon, formerly Centaurus Ranger and Phantom Ranger," he replied. Isinia's surprise looked enough like confusion for camouflage, as the Samurai tried to process the unfamiliar names. Drian raised an eyebrow, just as Mentor Ji returned to the room.

"Good, you're awake." He was holding his own gold Samuraizer, along with Drian's Transmorpher. "I'm sorry for leaving you with no explanation, Rangers, but I had to make sure this was what I thought."

"And?" Jayden asked.

"The records mention you, Drian, in the year 1999. According to it, you and the Stratoforce Ranger have been thrown through time by a villain named Deviot—though there's no telling where your teammate has gone." Drian shut his eyes, and a pained expression flitted across his face. Then he shook his head.

"My morpher?"

"I can't repair it, I'm sorry. However," Mentor Ji raised his Samuraizer and activated it, "I can transfer the remaining energy into a new morpher."

"Go ahead," Drian said eagerly. "I'll need everything I can get to find my Vannessa." The Rangers noticed the way the name lingered on Drian's lips, and Isinia frowned a little in thought. Either this was only a decoy, or else one of two or more Akra. She'd have to wait for this 'Vannessa' to appear to make a decision. Mentor Ji set down the Transmorpher, and aimed his Samuraizer at it.


	18. Chapter 18: Terra Venture, Feb 15, 1999

**Terra Venture, February 15th, 1999**

Vannessa sat in Terra Venture's Forest Dome, alone. Kendrix, Maya and the others were friendly and had quickly welcomed the girl, but she wanted to think. Quietly, she stroked the silvery bracelet on her wrist, and remembered when Drian had given it to her.

" _Drian!" Vannessa ran into the clearing where the Phantom Ranger's spaceship hovered. It was very dark, but she knew the way blindfolded. The engines were already on, and Drian had morphed. He turned around, hearing her voice, and she stopped up short._

" _I'm needed on Eltar, Vannessa—badly," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders._

" _You were going to leave without even saying goodbye?" Vannessa asked softly, violet eyes glittering with tears. A breeze blew, sending locks of dark hair into her face, and Drian brushed them over her ear._

" _I was afraid…of seeing the pain in your eyes," he replied, and stopped one of her tears as it ran down her cheek. "This pain." Vannessa smiled a little despite the tear._

" _Here," she said, and pulled a necklace out from under her tunic. A once-white diamond swung there, cracked and dull. "It may not have real power anymore, but it's still lucky." Drian took the diamond, and didn't say anything for a long moment. Then he shook himself, and turned towards the ship. Opening a hatch, he dug around inside for a moment, and then pulled out a flat, silvery oval._

" _This belonged to my mother," he said, taking Vannessa's wrist and setting it on the back. Silver tendrils flowed out from the oval, forming a bracelet that fit Vannessa perfectly. Vannessa let out a little awed noise, and ran a finger over it. "Vanessa?"_

" _Yes?" The girl looked up at him. Drian took a few deep breaths._

" _If I return from this war…" he stopped, and shook his head almost angrily. "I don't know how to say this!"_

" _You don't have to." Vannessa unclipped his helmet and pulled it off, revealing a dark-haired, handsome young man. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him, and after a moment, he responded with feeling._

Vannessa was snapped out of her reverie by a loud boom. Springing to her feet with a look of alarm, the girl ran towards the noise. Immediately, her eye was drawn to the smoke and fire rising from near the main entrance of the dome, and soon she saw the Galaxy Rangers through the chaos. They were not doing well.

But as Vannessa stumbled down the slope, their attacker stepped through the smoke. Stopping, he laughed cruelly at the fallen Rangers. Vannessa nearly stopped up short. No. It couldn't be—but there he stood. The Phantom Ranger, large as life, about to murder her new friends.

"Pathetic," he sneered, raising his Phantom Laser. That roused Vannessa back into action. As she leaped down the last few boulders, she noticed that his Power Ruby was covered in wires and circuitry, and glowed more dully than usual.

"Drian!" Vannessa screamed, leaping in his way. The Phantom stopped up short. "Drian, what's wrong with you? These are the Power Rangers!"

"Get out of my way." Drian leveled his gun at her. Vanessa planted her feet and stared hard at the Phantom Ranger.

"You wouldn't hurt me, and I'm not going to let you hurt them." She raised her bracelet. At the sight of it, Drian faltered. Behind Vannessa, the Galaxy Rangers began struggling to their feet.

"I'm not going to waste my time on you!" Drian snapped at last, and vanished. Swinging around, Vannessa began helping the Galaxy Rangers up.

"Who was that?" Damon asked.

"An old friend. He's under some kind of mind control." Vannessa looked back where the Phantom had been standing, and tried not to cry. Seeing him again after all this time, but twisted like this, hurt worse than the last year of thinking him dead had been.

"It's all right," Maya panted, putting a hand on Vannessa's arm. "We won't harm him. I could see how much you both mean to each other—he was fighting the spell." Vannessa already knew about Maya's psychic abilities. The way Drian had acted…maybe there was still hope.

* * *

 **Panorama City, March 23** **rd** **, 2011**

The Samurai Rangers skidded to a halt, and looked around the warehouse area in bewilderment. It was empty. Isinia sniffed the air, and detected a faint aroma of jasmine. The Akra was close.

Then, with a cry, a black shadow leaped out from behind a pile of crates. It zipped back and forth across the group, slashing at them with a silvery blade. The blows hurt, and Isinia cried out in pain, hearing the others do the same. One by one, they crumpled, clutching wounds.

The blur stopped, revealing a female Black Samurai Ranger. Her visor was shaped like the kanji for "darkness," her pants and suit accents were white, and she held a black-and-silver Spin Sword. Slowly, she turned towards the group.

"Ready to meet your Samurai ancestors, Rangers?" She asked. Stepping out of the shadows, Dayu and Octoroo chuckled softly. Isinia noticed that the half-Nighlok was leaning heavily on her harmonium—were those burns? What had happened to Xanthe in there?

"Who are you?" Jayden cried.

"Don't act as if you don't know me. Whatever you've done to my memory, it'll be undone when I destroy you! Spin Sword, Darkness Blast!" a ring of blackness shot out along her sword swing, and knocked all of the Samurai back. Sparks showered at the impact.

"We don't know who you are, honest," Mike coughed.

"Liar!" But as the Black Ranger raised her sword over the nearest Ranger—Kevin—there was a shout.

"Spin Sword, Ice Avalanche!" The Rangers all looked back to see a White Samurai Ranger. Blue-white light shot from his sword, and the Black Ranger was thrown flat on her back with a cry. Darting forward, the new Ranger dropped into a fighting stance in front of the others. Dayu and Octoroo stopped laughing, and exchanged alarmed looks.

"Great! Mentor finally finished your morpher!" Isinia cried, pushing herself up on one knee. Burns dotted her right leg and shoulder, but she ignored the pain.

"Vannessa, it's me," Drian said, moving forward. The Black Ranger scrambled back, suit smoking, as the other Ranger advanced. Octoroo and Dayu exchanged an alarmed look, and backed out of sight.

"What are you waiting for? Destroy me, Ranger!"

"Whatever's happened to you, Vannessa, deep down you remember." Drian knelt beside her, sheathing his sword. "Love as strong as yours can't just be taken away by an evil spell." Panting, Vannessa stared at him. Isinia concentrated on breathing. She knew she'd get her moment soon.

"I…" Vannessa couldn't seem to talk. Drian held out a hand.

"Please. You saved me once, let me save you this time." He spoke very softly. Vannessa looked down at his hand, and then her morph vanished. Her hair was in a messy braid, and she wore a black Samurai uniform like the Rangers' own. Her violet eyes widened, and Drian demorphed. He still held out his hand.

"Drian!" Vannessa lunged forward and seized him in an embrace, oblivious to the Samurai watching them. Emily made an "aw" sound, and Isinia suppressed the urge to imitate her. She'd seen enough; she had her targets.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

 _Isinia stands in the shadows of Stonehenge, lit by a red-orange sunset. The hourglass in her paw glows orange, and the sand explodes around her in an orange cloud. Whirling like a cyclone, it forms her Ranger suit._

" _Russet Hourglass Ranger!"_

"What?" Drian exclaimed, springing up and facing the stranger. Vannessa was right behind him, glaring at the Russet Ranger.

"Brass Knuckles Fist Pound!" Isinia exclaimed, and a pair of thick, brass knuckles materialized on her paws. Swinging a fist over her head, she slammed it down into the pavement, which cracked and rippled, throwing both Akra hosts to the ground. Not wasting a second, the Sirian drew her Hourglass Revolver and charged, firing three quick gas blasts towards the pair.

"Not again," Vannessa choked, struggling up and pulling out her Samuraizer. Isinia kicked it aside and punched her in the solar plexus, catching the Akra by the braid as she doubled over. Drian tried to jump her from the side, but there was another yell.

"Neural Net, Psychic Wave!" Green light washed over the entire street, and when it faded, only the morphed Rangers—Hourlgass and Samurai—remained.

"There you are," Isinia said, setting Vannessa down gently and rolling her onto her face. Xanthe limped over to Drian, dropping heavily beside him. Two Containment Jars clinked on the pavement. "Are you all right?"

"I seriously doubt it," the Aquitian replied, getting to work on the male Akra. His, being a secondary Akra, was smaller and easier to remove than Vannessa's. "Wh-why do they call it Sanzu River water? Water is not supposed to be combustible."

"If we have time before the Monitors arrive, I'll see if the Blue Samurai can help you rehydrate," Isinia promised, looking towards the still-befuddled Samurai. But just as she pulled Vannessa's Akra off her back, a portal opened up behind the Samurai. Xanthe, looking up from her capped Containment Jar, let out a scream of sheer frustration.

"Take them with us," Isinia said hurriedly, sealing her own jar. "I'm sorry."

" _You're_ sorry!?"

* * *

 **Terra Venture, The Next Night**

It was midnight, and Vannessa moped by herself in the Mountain Dome. The artificial sky had been turned off, and even the unbelievably beautiful galaxies passing overhead didn't snap the girl out of her brooding. She heard footsteps somewhere behind her, and whirled around.

"Drian!" The morphed Phantom Ranger stopped.

"I…I don't know why I'm here." Vannessa took a step towards him.

"Do you remember what you told me when you left?"

"No!" Drian backed up a step, shaking his head violently.

"I think you do." Vannessa took the Phantom Ranger's hands in her own. Her bracelet glinted in the starlight.

"I…" The Phantom Ranger paused. Then his Power Ruby went completely dark, and he staggered back with a cry. His suit vanished, and he doubled over in agony. Vannessa caught him by the shoulders.

"Drian!" Looking down at his Power Ruby, which was covered in metal and wires, Drian tore it off and flung it away, and it exploded. All the creatures in the Mountain Dome woke up, and flew and scampered away into the brush. Letting out a slow breath, Drian fell back in Vannessa's arms, the color draining out of his skin.

"Thank you," he breathed. With shaking hands, he slipped her necklace out from under his shirt. "Saved me." His eyes slid closed, and his hand dropped limply to the ground. The diamond hit his still chest with a clink. Vannessa sat there for a moment, frozen in shock and disbelief.

"Drian, no!" Vannessa shook him, but his head lolled limply. "No! I can't lose you again, Drian!" Cradling the Eltarian to her chest, Vannessa began to cry.

As the girl rocked back and forth, her tears dripped on the diamond, and it began to gleam blue-white. Almost as if in response, so did the bracelet around her wrist. Vannessa opened her eyes, and looked in bewilderment at the two objects. Then, thinking fast, she touched them together. With a thunderclap and white flash, Drian revived. He started, drawing in a huge breath, and Vannessa let out a cry of joy.

"Drian!" She seized him in a hug, which he returned with shaking arms. That was when Vannessa noticed the new Transmorpher on her wrist where her bracelet had been. She drew away from Drian, and they both stared in wonder at it. Looking down, Drian raised his own wrist, and the Transmorpher on it.

"We…these control two of the lost Galactabeasts, Centaurus and Stratoforce!" The former Phantom Ranger exclaimed.

"Which I don't have to deal with, since they belong here—unlike you two," Leo said aloud, stepping out of the shadows. Vannessa and Drian jumped, twisting around to look at the Red Ranger.

"Leo, what are you talking about?" Vannessa asked. Leo pulled a Gyro Morpher out from under his shirt, with a grim expression on his face.

"No, there's been more than enough talking already. Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

The two imposters sprang to their feet as Garfield struck a fighting stance. Vannessa's eyes widened, and instinctively, she threw herself between Drian and the Hourglass Ranger. She did look slightly disappointed by the burst of gas, which she couldn't really shield Drian from.

"No!" Drian screamed, catching Vannessa as she fell back, coughing. He swayed, and both Akra hosts fell down. His final words were too slurred to be understood.

"Either I'm getting good at this, or you're weaker than you look," Garfield said, holstering his Hourglass Revolver. But as he started towards the pair, the Akra on their backs began to glow—silver and red, respectively. He paused, hearing the energy build up, and was thrown back by the burst as they vanished.

After the blast faded, Garfield darted forward, but it was too late. The two Akra hosts were gone, leaving a burned circle in the middle of the clearing. Garfield felt around everywhere, then swore viciously. Hearing a rustle, he stopped up short, and listened. Then he drew his Portal Pointer.


	19. Chapter 19 Angel Grove, Sept 20, 1997

**Angel Grove, September 20th, 1997**

Swinging her ice skates over her shoulder, Vannessa decided to cut through the park on her way home. Even though her BFF Katie told her over and over again that she had this competition in the bag, Vannessa just wasn't sure. Besides, a little more practice never hurt anyone.

But as the teenage girl headed down the path, she heard the sounds of fighting. Curious and hoping to see the Power Rangers, Vannessa picked up her pace. A wind blew, smelling like autumn and teasing wisps her brown hair out of its bun.

Rounding a corner, Vannessa saw the fight, and her bag slipped out of her hands. It was the Phantom Ranger, battling a horde of Pirahnatrons and one mirror-covered monster by himself. A little thrill shot through Vannessa: out of all the Rangers, the Phantom fascinated her the most.

Whirling, the Phantom Ranger fired at a row of Pirahnatrons as they rushed towards him, but only slowed them down. The strange Ranger turned invisible, only for the mirror-covered monster to burst out laughing. It looked like a carnival funhouse had exploded, and the gaps between mirrors were an eye-popping swirl of colors.

"You really think that's going to work? I can see you quite clearly, Phantom!" A white beam of light shot out of the monster's face, and the Phantom Ranger reappeared in front of a row of bushes. He was blasted off his feet, and the Pirahnatrons tackled him. He fought, but the creatures seized him from all sides, weighing him down so he couldn't fight back.

"Hey!" Vannessa broke through the burbling fishy noises, and the mirror monster looked around. The teenage girl glared at him with fists raised. Something inside her told her that she ought to be scared, but Vannessa didn't care. "Fifteen against one isn't fair."

"That's okay; I'll take you on too!" The monster cackled.

"Look out!" The Phantom Ranger shouted, forcing his way through the swarm for just a second before the Pirahnatrons pulled him back under. The monster shot another laser at Vannessa, but instead of knocking her down, the light bounced off her and hit the creature. It sparked and staggered back.

"What?" Vannessa exclaimed, looking down. Something was glowing white under her shirt, and she tugged out a diamond on a chain. Her eyes widened, and glazed over as she became lost in thought. Her Mom's old necklace…when she'd said it was special, she wasn't kidding! The Pirahnatrons snapped out of their surprise before Phantom did, and got back to pummeling him.

"What? That's impossible!" The monster shrieked. Grinning, the Akra host yanked the diamond off its chain, and held it at arm's length. Time to see what this baby could _really_ do!

"Say goodbye, mirror freak!" A white light shot out of the jewel and into the monster. Its mirrors cracked, and it exploded with a howl. The remaining Pirahnatrons looked from the smoking crater to the girl, and wisely retreated. The Phantom Ranger fell to the ground and demorphed.

"Are you okay?" Vannessa called, running over and rolling the Phantom Ranger over onto his back. She paused at the sight of him; he was dark-haired, about her age and undeniably hot. He was pretty banged-up, and he coughed as the teenager tried to help him up.

"I'm fine, thanks to you. That was very brave of you." The Phantom Ranger looked Vannessa in the eye, and frowned a little. "Strange. Your eyes are violet. I thought humans weren't naturally capable of that color. Who are you?"

"I'm special," the teenager said with a shrug. "I'm Vannessa."

"Vannessa. I am Drian of Eltar, son of Zordon. I would like to examine that jewel—" The Phantom Ranger broke into a coughing fit, and Vannessa held him still until it stopped. Then, pulling him to his feet, she slid under his arm and began helping him away. She glanced back once at her abandoned stuff, but decided to come back for it later.

The walk back to her house was quick, and leaving Drian on a sofa, Vannessa went straight for the first aid kit. Her aunt—who was also her guardian—was out, probably still at work, and she had the house to herself. Remembering her first aid classes, Vannessa bandaged Drian's head and gently cleaned his other wounds.

Drian woke up a few minutes later, after Vannessa had put everything away and sat down on the chair beside him. Relieved, Vannessa sprang up as Drian glanced around. He touched the bandage, and looked impressed.

"You did this?" Vannessa nodded. "Again, thank you." He began to sit up, and Vannessa quickly caught him by the shoulders.

"Not too fast, you're not out of the woods yet," the girl said. Slowly, Drian lay back down again.

"May I examine that gemstone?" He asked, looking at the diamond dangling from Vannessa's neck. Nodding, she unfastened the chain, and handed it to Drian. "Fascinating," Drian murmured, turning the gem in his hands. It glittered as though lit from within. "Where did you get this?"

"My parents." Vannessa glanced down at her lap, and played with a lock of hair. "They died when I was a baby." Drian glanced over at Vannessa with a sympathetic expression, and reached up to her face. There was a tear on her cheek, and he wiped it away.

"I lost my mother when I was very young as well," Drian said softly. "I understand how precious this is. But this is no ordinary diamond—this is an Eltarian Fire Gem. It contains a great deal of good energy—more than my own Power Ruby."

"Really?" Vannessa stopped pouting.

"Indeed. Though I am not yet sure, I suspect that this gem is bonded with your genetic structure. They often do—and with the proper technology, I could turn it into…" Drian trailed off. He got up. The Phantom Ranger swayed a little, but Drian recovered before Vannessa could catch him. "Thank you for caring for me, Vannessa, but I must return to my ship to examine this."

"I understand. Take as long as you need—and don't let Divatox catch you off guard again!" Vannessa added, with a laugh. Nodding, Drian rose and vanished. The front door swung open, and shut again.

Vannessa was just beginning to sit back, with a thoughtful look on her face, when Pirahnatrons flooded the room. Before the Akra host could react, she'd been seized by the arms. She struggled, but she was outnumbered and surrounded. Then Divatox strode inside, giggling.

"I must say, for a human, you're very good at treating Eltarians," she sneered. "He almost seemed fond of you."

"What do you want?" Vannessa spat. She wished Drian hadn't taken her Fire Gem; a few lasers would have been more than welcome right about now.

"The Phantom Ranger's Power Ruby, and I think I'm going to get it. He can't have gotten far yet." Divatox gestured, and the Pirahnatrons began dragging Vannessa out the door. She resisted, but they were stronger.

As Divatox came down the front path, two laser shots took out the two front Pirahnatrons. Looking alarmed, the pirate jumped back and caught Vannessa by the hair before she could bolt. Her unnaturally long tongue jabbed Vannessa in the throat, and the girl recoiled with a cry. Fire burned through her veins from the wound.

"Let her go!" Drian snapped, materializing in front of them. He aimed his Phantom Laser at Divatox.

"I don't think so! We outnumber you, after all. But we don't have to be unpleasant about this; I'm willing to bargain for this little Earthling."

The Phantom Ranger lowered his Laser. "What do you want?" Divatox smirked. Vannessa let out a noise of pain; the place Divatox had stung her was turning green, spreading dark veins through her throat. Even though Drian was morphed, Vannessa thought that he looked scared for her. If she hadn't been in growing pain, she would have felt embarrassed.

"My deal is simple, Phantom: you, and your Power Ruby, for her life."

"Drian, no!" Vannessa wasn't going to be like one of those stupid damsels-in-distress who got the hero captured.

"You know how powerful my venom is, Phantom Ranger. You know how long and painful her death will be." Divatox prodded the wound with a finger, and Vannessa flinched. She still shook her head stubbornly.

"All right." The Phantom Ranger holstered his Phantom Laser. "Let me heal her, and I'll surrender to you."

"Wonderful," Divatox purred. Vannessa choked, and Divatox tossed her towards the Phantom Ranger. He caught the girl by the shoulders, and cradling her, pulled out his Power Ruby. She was already trembling with pain, staring up in fear at the Eltarian.

"Don't," Vannessa rasped, as he began passing it over her wound. "Not for me." Drian was very gentle, and Vannessa wondered suddenly just how her movie love interest connection had been. The fire in her veins began to change, replaced by a cleansing sting that forced the venom back.

"I have faith in you, Vannessa." With his other hand, Drian pressed Vannessa's diamond into her hand. "You will know what to do."

Tenderly, the Phantom Ranger laid Vannessa down on the grass and turned to Divatox. Demorphing, he held out his Power Ruby, and the Pirahnatrons seized him. As always, the foot soldiers were rougher than necessary.

"No!" Vannessa cried again, as Drian's wrists and ankles were shackled. The Pirahnatrons jerked on the chains to make sure they were secure. Drian glanced back at Vannessa one more time, and this time the proud, loving look was unmistakable.

"My, you really are a one-note girl, aren't you?" Divatox said, looking Vannessa up and down. She snapped her fingers, and she, Drian and the Pirahnatrons vanished. Vannessa dropped back, clutching her Fire Gem, and her vision grayed out.

* * *

Vannessa finally came back to full consciousness to with a headache and a burning thirst. She sat up sharply, and looked around in bewilderment. She was alone on her front lawn, and the sun was setting. Remembering what had happened, Vannessa scrambled to her feet, and looked down at the Fire Gem in her hand.

She clenched her fist. The Phantom Ranger—Drian—had been captured, and it was her fault. The only boy who'd ever even been nice to her, much less saved her life, and now he was going to die. The Fire Gem began to glow. Instinctively, Vanessa slapped it onto her left wrist. With a blinding flash, the diamond transformed into a crystalline morpher set with silver. A silver key appeared in Vannessa's other hand, and she shoved it into the morpher.

"Shift into Turbo! Flash Ranger!" The Ranger's suit was white and silver, and looked like a more streamlined, angular version of the Phantom's. Vannessa's heart leaped: now she could join the fight and help the others. She touched the Fire Gem, now set in her chest, and transformed into a streak of light.

Zooming towards Angel Grove Lake, where Vannessa knew the Subcraft lurked, the new Flash Ranger glimpsed five beams of light shooting through the air over her head. The Turbo Rangers were on the job. Vannessa grinned, and stopped on the shore of the lake. She was on the rocky side, where very few people ever visited. Just as she scanned the water for the Subcraft, Vannessa heard Elgar's voice.

"How many times do I have to tell you stupid Pirahnatrons, stay here and stand guard!" Vannessa turned, and began creeping towards the sound. There were burbling noises, and Vannessa peeked over a boulder to see three Pirahnatrons, Elgar and Divatox guarding Drian. The Eltarian was chained to a cliff face, and a pang shot through Vannessa as she saw how weak he looked. His eyes were closed, his skin very pale, and his breathing labored.

"Hey, pinhead!" She yelled, standing up straight. "Flash Grenade!" The weapon materialized in her hand, and yanking the pin out, Vannessa hurled the grenade. It exploded as it hit Divatox, throwing her and her minions flat. With a whoop, Vannessa leaped over the rock and charged towards the group. She snatched up the keys as she passed the fallen, moaning Elgar.

"Drian, are you okay?" She asked anxiously, dropping down beside him. The Eltarian's eyes fluttered open as Vannessa unchained him, and he fell forward into her arms. "Drian!"

Weakly, Drian smiled up at her. "I knew you could do it," he breathed. Pride swelled in Vannessa's heart, and she cradled the Eltarian in her arms.

"Not without you," she replied softly. Then hearing the pirates stirring, she looked around at them.

"Ugh, I may vomit," Elgar groaned, popping the "t" at the end. Divatox sat up, and with a growl, yanked a little gyroscope out from behind her collar. Pushing a button at the top, she transformed into a scaly humanoid creature with the head of a dog. Everyone recoiled in surprise.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!" The imposter exclaimed, and morphed into an unfamiliar Russet Ranger.

"This is mental!" Elgar cried, standing as the Russet Ranger turned towards Vannessa. The girl was too confused to move as Elgar repeated the phrase, and transformed into a matching Cerulean Ranger.

"You're Garfield Brooks?" The Russet Ranger asked, sounding surprised. "Hourglass Revolver!" Drawing his own gun as she did, the Hourglass Ranger nodded.

"In the scarred and battered flesh, at your service—just as soon as we win this fight." Vannessa sprang up now, summoning a Flash Grenade, but the Russet Ranger simply whirled and kicked it back at her. Vannessa ducked, throwing herself over Drian as it exploded behind her. Sand and bits of rock pelted the back of her suit.

"I know who you are," Vannessa hissed, springing back up and dropping into a fighting stance. "Toppled Hourglass. We know how to deal with you." The Akra itself on the back of her neck rippled a little and gleamed red. When she spoke again, it was with an almost calm voice. "Berserk Mode."

"Oh no," the Russet Ranger said. Vannessa smirked and charged her. Her morph vanished as the Akra drew on its power, sucking in everything that wasn't being actively used. Moving almost too quickly to see, the Akra host landed a flying forward kick on the Russet Ranger's chest, knocking her back. With a salvo of rapid jabs, she forced the Ranger into a full-on retreat.

"Oi! Punjab Lasso, Phantom Noose!" Hearing the rope whistle towards her, Vannessa ducked under it, and the Cerulean Ranger accidentally snared his teammate. With a laugh, Vannessa backflipped towards him, tangled the cord around her leg, and yanked it out of his hands. Another somersault and she came up behind him to seize him in a headlock.

"You can't defeat me," she hissed, tightening her grip so he choked. "Not now." Energy coursed through her, but the Akra could already feel it beginning to ebb. She was running on pure life force now, and once it ran out, both Akra and host would be dead. If Vannessa hadn't just fought and recovered from poisoning, she'd last longer, but it was still going to be enough.

Then she heard a scream. Not a battle cry, a raw-throated shriek of pain. The Akra ignored it, focusing on her foes. Then someone slammed bodily into her, knocking her away from Garfield. Rolling over, Vannessa glimpsed blurring green and white over her. Then the air turned into blue and orange smoke. The Akra nearly laughed—she was using all of her energy now: knockout gas wouldn't do anything. Then the smoke glowed purple.

"Stop." Vannessa heard the voice in her head. It was dark and pained, but steady. "Now."

"What?" Vannessa struggled, but someone seized her by the arms. Then a lightning bolt of pain shot through her head. The Akra writhed, and Vannessa jerked violently. Before she could cry out, the pain came again, and again and again. Nearly mad with agony, the Akra tore free of its host, drawing blood, and Vannessa herself went limp. All of the collected life force energy dissipated, and darkness closed in.

* * *

Thoughts from 2017: I have to confess that even though it's been four years since I wrote this three-parter, I still misspell the name "Vanessa" constantly because of this character. Thanks a lot, WolfsbaneX.


	20. Chapter 20: Turtle Cove, May 13th, 2002

**Angel Grove, September 20th, 1997**

Isinia and Garfield sat side-by-side on the shore of Angel Grove Lake, beside the still-unconscious Vannessa and Drian. After what had happened before to the pair, they'd decided not to leave them and risk the Akra showing up. Xanthe was in the water, and neither of her teammates could see her at the moment. Naturally, she swam like a fish.

"You're sure we're all that's left?" Garfield asked. He'd produced a pipe from a pocket, and was busy tamping tobacco into it. Isinia watched him curiously.

"We have the only morphers the Akra don't." Isinia glanced down at the Amaranth Morpher in her paws. "I'm afraid so."

"Fun." Garfield lit the pipe, and shook the match to put it out. He leaned back against a boulder and inhaled, shutting his eyes. "Still, we seem to be doing all right for now."

"Just barely. I'm worried about Xanthe. From what you say, she hasn't been herself lately," Isinia replied, glancing out at the lake. Garfield blew a smoke ring, which quickly dissipated in the breeze. "I'm worried it has something to do with her hydration drug." Garfield shrugged uncomfortably, and blew another smoke ring.

"She's always been weird, but usually more stiff than lately. Dunno, maybe it's just an Aquitian thing. Wait, was that racist?"

"I don't think so." There was a splash, and Isinia looked up to see Xanthe swimming towards them. Garfield tilted his head up, sighed and put out his pipe, shaking the ashes into the sand.

"What was that?" Isinia asked, gesturing to the pipe. Garfield slid it into a thigh pocket and zipped it shut.

"It's called smoking a pipe. Got it from my Gramps." He got up, dusting sand off his pants, just as a portal opened up in a nearby cliff face. Two male Time Force officers stepped out, and paused at the sight of the odd pair. Xanthe reached the shore, sitting down, and tried to get up. Her burnt legs pleated beneath her, and she fell with a stifled yelp. Immediately, Isinia darted over and picked her up.

"I'm fine," Xanthe insisted, though the visible pain in her face made the lie obvious. Isinia carried the Aquitian over to the beach, and set her down. They'd cut off most of her pants to get at the burns, which were now thoroughly bandaged. Their first aid kit was also much emptier. The Aquitian looked almost as pale as the white cloth, and was breathing hard.

"These two?" Harvey asked, pointing to the unconscious Akra hosts. Garfield nodded, and the men threw the pair over their shoulders like two very large sacks of potatoes. "Good to see you all together," he added, as they started back for the portal.

"Good luck," Nicholson called, hunching over with Drian's weight. Isinia waved as the pair vanished, and the portal closed. Then she looked back down at Xanthe.

"We need to keep moving," Isinia said gently.

"I know," Xanthe muttered. "The lake water is polluted."

"Look, I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do about it," Garfield said, joining the pair. Xanthe sighed, and pulled out the Portal Pointer.

"As we go, concentrate on an orange wristband—your disguise generator should provide one, and we'll be able to find each other that way," Isinia said. Garfield opened his mouth, but paused.

"You'll find me?"

"Naturally." Nodding, Garfield moved closer, and Xanthe fired directly into the ground beneath them. They fell.

* * *

 **Turtle Cove, May 13th, 2002**

Master Org stood with Jindrax and Xanthe, disguised as Toxica, on the edge of a quarry, watching Putrids dig in the bluish moonlight. It was very quiet, the foot soldiers barely making a sound as they dug out a black cave opening, wide enough to fit a Zord in. Xanthe had sat down on a rock, and was rubbing her left wrist. She'd concentrated, but there was no wristband, orange or otherwise.

"Why are we always out so late?" Jindrax asked. Since his lips never moved, Xanthe looked towards Master Org. He didn't seem to hear it.

"Where is Zen-Aku now? Even after three thousand years, I do not trust that Duke Org," he growled. Xanthe squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to focus on the Putrids. Their minds were incredibly simple. All they wanted to do was obey their latest order, that being "Dig." But even that didn't shut out the others' mental voices.

"What are you doing?" Zen-Aku's baritone rang out behind the trio, and they turned around. Master Org grinned at the newly-arrived Duke Org. Xanthe's eyes latched onto the orange band around Zen-Aku's right wrist, barely visible beneath his armor.

"The map was right. We're about to uncover another of the lost Wildzords!" Zen-Aku didn't look terribly impressed, just made a "hmm" sound. Xanthe's suspicions were confirmed as she heard Garfield's voice.

"So he's a _Russian_ mutant abomination created from pollution, then. Got it." Then he continued in both his own voice and Zen-Aku's. It was disorienting. Then Xanthe frowned, and sniffed the air. She could feel the Akra influence coming.

"I smell a human," she said, and peered suspiciously around the quarry. Jindrax shook his head, but Toxica put up a hand before he could speak. "It's different this time. I think we have a spy."

"I'll look," Garfield said, and began zipping around the quarry. It didn't take him long—there was a shrill shriek, and Garfield reappeared on the slope beside the other Orgs. He held a girl by the scruff of the neck, and tossed her to the ground. She caught herself, and glared up at Master Org.

"Well, well, well, out for a stroll?" Master Org asked, looking the human up and down. She was a teenager, clad entirely in black and blue. Her black hair was streaked with red, and the dark makeup on her face contrasted sharply with her pale skin—as did the black eye. _Somehow_ the injury failed to make her any less pretty.

"None of your business, unicorn man," she growled, scrambling up and dropping into a fighting stance. Her eyes darted towards the gaping black hole. Master Org's expression darkened, but as he raised his staff, Xanthe darted forward. Pain flared from her burns, and she stumbled, but it was only a quick run.

"What is this?" She yanked a silvery chain out from under the girl's shirt, revealing a pink orb swinging on a chain. A light flickered inside it, and the girl slapped Toxica's hand away.

"Hands off, freak!" The disguised Aquitian staggered a little, leaning heavily on her staff, and Jindrax went to help her up.

"Interesting," Garfield rumbled, coming closer and stroking his chin. "It appears the Bat Wildzord has chosen its own commander." The girl frowned in confusion.

"Say what?"

"Another puny human?" Master Org snapped. The girl's heavily made-up blue eyes narrowed.

"I can fight just as good as anybody, mister—how do you think I got this?" She pointed to her black eye.

"Your Dad got drunk and started hitting you again?" Jindrax said. Everyone looked at him in confusion, especially the girl. "I…kind of overheard last week when we were looking for a new Org. He was pretty loud."

"I ran away," the girl muttered, folding her arms. "I can still take care of myself."

"I have a better idea," Master Org said, smiling very creepily. Slipping behind him, Xanthe gently poked Zen-Aku in the ribs. "What is your name?"

"Lynnda—with two n's and a y," the Akra host replied. Master Org chuckled, and began around Lynnda, looking her up and down. She glared warningly at him, and Xanthe heard her think, "Watch it, wizard dude, I've been hurt by enough people like you to know who I can trust."

"It's Xanthe," the Aquitian breathed into Garfield's ear. The Duke Org gave a barely perceptible nod.

"Holding up?" He hissed.

"For the moment." Xanthe swayed a little, and Garfield surreptitiously steadied her with one hand.

"Easy, afraid we've got a long night ahead of us." Xanthe hissed through her teeth. Mentally—it was only Garfield's voice now—her teammate added, "A very long, whiny, emo night. Or Goth; I can never tell. Why do they even call it Goth? Goths were Vikings or something like that." He gave his head a little shake. Master Org had finished orbiting Lynnda, and now stopped in front of her again.

"Well, Lynnda with two n's and a y, I think I have a way so that no one will ever abuse you again. Interested?"

* * *

 **Three Weeks Later**

Garfield came into the cavern that had become Lynnda's quarters, and stopped up short. He could smell fresh blood—again. With a growl, he crossed the room and reached out, finding Lynnda's shoulder and yanking her to her feet.

"Will you ever stop doing this?" He demanded, seizing her by the arms. Finding two horizontal slashes across her left wrist, he ripped off her sleeve and began bandaging the wound. Lynnda let out an angry yelp.

"You've scared off my Muse, and I wasn't even halfway done! Let go!" She slapped his hands away and went to the corner, muttering under her breath. Garfield crouched down, and his fingers brushed a diary. He sighed, and picking it up, making sure to smear the bloody writing. A nail file sat beside it on the ground, and Garfield pocketed it.

"You are not here to be 'artistic' or harm yourself. You are here to train to use the Bat Zord and eventually defeat the Power Rangers," Garfield said, with concentrated patience. They'd had this conversation before, many times.

"You wouldn't understand," Lynnda muttered, sitting down and curling up into a ball. "No one does." Garfield "looked" at the book, and Akra influence told him what the poem said. He cringed: was this girl secretly part Vogon? Limpid pools of viscous redness? The teeth of howling midnight anguish?

"You are the one who doesn't understand," he muttered. Lynnda snorted.

"Yeah, like a Duke Org could feel real pain. All you need to do is smash up some buildings and you've got your jollies for the day. Complex emotions are beyond you."

What Garfield wanted to say was "There is nothing complex about behaving like a spoiled two-year-old with unusually adult delusions of grandeur." What came out instead was "You think you know me so well, don't you?" Some days he hated his job. Then he walked out. Lynnda moved towards him, but Garfield ignored her. Apparently the Akra wanted to drag things out.

* * *

 **Two Days Later**

Isinia sat on a bench in the Animarium, gazing up at the waxing moon. She wished Xanthe, wherever she was, had become Princess Shayla instead: she'd hardly done anything since her arrival. The wind blew, and Isinia's keen ears pricked. She could hear footsteps.

Turning, Isinia spotted a black figure slinking towards the sacred pool, and stood up. The stranger froze, and Isinia started forward.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" She demanded.

"Isinia." It was Toxica's voice, and Isinia's glare softened. It had to be Xanthe. She hurried over, and Xanthe sat down with a thump. She was shaking. "I-I've been trying to stay hydrated with normal water, but it's so polluted." That was odd: Isinia remembered that Turtle Cove was actually one of the cleanest Ranger cities. Well, Aquitian systems _were_ more sensitive.

Just then, a male voice interrupted the scene. "So here you are." Recognizing the growl, Isinia whirled around, making sure to step in front of Xanthe. The Aquitian crouched and held absolutely still, holding her breath. Silhouetted in front of the moon was Zen-Aku, resting his sword over his shoulder.

"How did you get in here?" Isinia demanded. Zen-Aku chuckled, and a huge black shadow briefly blotted out the moon. There was a shrill shriek, and an enormous Bat Zord swooped forward, landing in front of Isinia. Out of it leaped a Pink Ranger, who dropped into a fighting stance. She held a silver-and-pink bow.

"Bat Zord!" Isinia cried, taking a step forward, only for the animal to hiss at her. The Pink Ranger let out a harsh chuckle, and aimed an arrow at Isinia's face.

"Master Org was right; kidnapping you is a piece of cake. Hopefully this will get him off my back for a while. Fighting's all everyone thinks I'm good for."

"No, that's what Master Org thinks you're good for. Me, I happen to think you aren't particularly good for anything," Zen-Aku said, coming forward. Lynnda whirled around, staring incredulously at him. Zen-Aku—Garfield—came forward, and pulled his Gyro Morpher out from under his armor. "And frankly, I've had quite enough of you. Isinia?"

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

 _Garfield stands before a huge, dripping water clock. The hourglass in his hand glows blue, and the sand explodes around him in a blue storm. Swirling wildly, it forms his Ranger suit._

" _Cerulean Hourglass Ranger!"_

 _Isinia stands in the shadows of Stonehenge, lit by a red-orange sunset. The hourglass in her paw glows orange, and the sand explodes around her in an orange cloud. Whirling like a cyclone, it forms her Ranger suit._

" _Russet Hourglass Ranger!"_

The Bat Zord swooped into the air and began spitting lasers at the pair. Isinia ducked and rolled, but Garfield took a hit to the chest. He slammed into a carving of a monkey and collapsed, clutching his ribs.

"Brass Knuckles, Fist Pound!" Isinia shouted, and leaped to meet the oncoming Bat Zord. The impact sent a wave of orange light over the Animarium, and the Bat Zord fell back, flapping its wings wildly. Hearing a cry of outrage, Isinia turned as Lynnda sprang into the air, cloth wings like Taylor's materializing beneath her arms.

"Punjab Lasso, Phantom Noose!" The blue rope snared Lynnda by the neck and yanked her to the ground, where Garfield quickly tackled her in a full nelson. As the Pink Ranger struggled, Xanthe finally joined in, morphing with a yell. Running over to the writhing Lynnda, she pulled off the Akra host's helmet and drew her Hourglass Revolver, switching it into Trank Mode.

The Bat Zord was still flailing about, moaning, as Isinia came towards it. The metal panels on its stomach were dented and twisted, exposing gooey White Akra beneath. Slowly, Isinia came closer, stopping as the Bat Zord tried to bite her.

"No! You can't!" Lynnda screamed, as Xanthe injected her in the throat. "Can't...prep jerks." She went limp, and Garfield set her down. As the Akra host was subdued, the Bat Zord shuddered and fell back, letting out a descending whine like a battery powering down. Then it exploded, showering everyone and everything in the vicinity with chunks of metal and white goop.

When the ringing in their ears had faded, the Rangers picked themselves up. Isinia dug through the White Akra until she found an arm, and pulled gently. The Bat Zord's captive was an elderly Asian woman, and Isinia gently laid her beside Lynnda.

"We're done?" Garfield panted.

"We are." Isinia replied. Nodding, Xanthe powered down, now in her own form, and went over to the sacred pool. She stuck her hand in, and then recoiled with a cry. Her skin glowed gold where she'd touched the liquid, and steam curled from it. Isinia and Garfield darted over to her, catching her as she staggered back.

"How is this possible?" Xanthe said through gritted teeth, looking at her hand. The light faded, leaving raw, shiny red burns. "I am not an Org or a monster." Then she squeezed her eyes shut, and covered one ear with her good hand. Isinia looked dumbly from Xanthe to Garfield. The latter gave a helpless shrug.

* * *

Thoughts from 2017: I really hated writing this chapter. I don't know why it was so hard, I just never felt satisfied with it.


	21. Chapter 21: Mako Island, Dec 30, 2007

**Turtle Cove, June 6** **th** **, 2002**

The three Hourglass Rangers sat in an abandoned public bathroom. One of the sinks dripped, the windows were broken and covered in cardboard, and it smelled like a sewage pipe or two had kept sneezing, but she insisted that this was the safest place for them within the continuum. Akra hated unpleasant, smelly places.

"I think it has something to do with your H20-SP," Garfield said, leaning back against a stall and folding his hands. "Or the lack thereof."

"You've been mixing it yourself?" Isinia asked, glancing at Xanthe. Only a few halfhearted fingers of sunlight filtered through the windows to light up the room. The Aquitian nodded, but paused. Her expression changed.

"Detra helped me with the last batch, in Mariner Bay," she said slowly. Nobody said anything: they already knew what had happened.

"Whatever she added, it must have been pretty sneaky. I think we know why your telepathy's been so uncontrollable lately," Isinia said. "I think you're suffering from withdrawal now. That's why no ordinary water is good enough." Xanthe shut her eyes, and put her face in her hands. Her fingers flexed, and she ran them over her head, brushing her queue of hair back.

"Twice," she muttered. "Deceived twice by that—wait." Her head snapped up, and Xanthe listened for a moment. She sprang to her feet. "They're coming—shut up!" She twisted around to shout over her shoulder. Seeing there was no time to ask questions, Isinia drew her Portal Pointer.

* * *

 **Mako Island, December 30** **th** **, 2007**

Xanthe landed sitting down, and blinked a little in the orange setting sunlight. She sat, human again, in a motorboat. A sea breeze whipped her now-blonde hair into her face, and she sat up straighter. There were two girls and a boy also there, but only the blonde wore an orange bracelet. Sourly, Xanthe realized that she'd failed to give herself an identifying mark again.

"Hey, who's that?" The boy asked, in an Australian accent, looking up from the boat's controls. The other teens looked up to see another small boat zipping on a parallel course to theirs, heading towards a small, forested island in the middle of the water.

"Oh, it's Mike," Xanthe said, discovering that she was also Australian. Where were the Power Rangers? The boy looked askance at the others, and the now-blonde Isinia laughed.

"He didn't tell you? Lewis, Mike's a merman too—he gets moonstruck just like us." Xanthe tried to search her memories for some kind of explanation, but even with the scrambling the Akra had done, she came up completely empty. Isinia looked confused as well, which confirmed Xanthe's confusion and worry. She had no idea where they were.

They steered into the island, and pulled their boat up out of the tideline. Mike, a fit blond with bright blue eyes, was already there, and he waved as the group came over. To Xanthe he looked perfectly normal—well, for an Akra host. Those were always somewhat idealized for humans.

"Rikki, Cleo, Emma, Lewis, hi," he said, revealing the first American accent of the day. He pulled on a backpack. "So where's the Moon Pool?"

"I'll show you," Xanthe said, coming forward. Mike gestured for her to lead on, and she did. The others went the other way, saying something about setting up tents.

The island was a small jungle, hot in the Australian summer yet surprisingly free of animal life. Xanthe sensed something strange about the place, and shivered a little. It wasn't bad, exactly, just mysterious and definitely powerful.

"So, I saw you and Zane talking in the JuiceNet Café," Mike said, as Xanthe pushed aside a leafy branch. "You've been really cold with him lately."

"Yeah? He took over the place. He's just a rich jerk," Xanthe replied, not looking around. A high step upwards strained her leg, and she flinched a little. Her Sanzu River water burns had healed into scars, though they didn't show through her disguise. A bird trilled somewhere nearby.

"He likes you, Rikki." Xanthe snorted. Then they'd reached a little cavern, and Xanthe sat down in its mouth. As she decided it was about the size and shape of a slide, Akra influence sent her sliding down it. Xanthe came out in a cave, and moved aside as Mike came after her.

The power she'd sensed crashed in on her mind, and for a minute, the Aquitian couldn't speak. The source was clearly the blue pool in the middle of the cavern, as still as a mirror. Dying rays of sunlight lit up the cave from a hole up above the water. The place smelled like sea salt and magic, and Xanthe could hear the waves crashing outside. The voices in her head fell abruptly silent.

"Sweet," Mike breathed, and rose. He held out a hand, and Xanthe let him pull her upright. "But seriously, give Zane another chance. Lewis told me how he helped you guys out with Dr. Denman last year. He's got a good heart, and I really think you could help him."

"Seriously?" Xanthe looked at Mike. He nodded. With a sigh, Xanthe folded her arms. "I'll have to think about it." The Akra influence told her otherwise: those creatures were hopeless romantics. She moved to the pool, and looked up through the gap in the roof. Tiny stars were beginning to flicker up there. "I'm gonna go find the others. You coming?"

"No," Mike said, sitting down by the pool's edge. "I'll stay here, if it's okay with you guys." Xanthe shrugged, and left the cave.

Mike sat alone beside the Moon Pool. It was growing very dark, and he wondered if the "mermaid club" had decided whether to stay in moonlight-proof tents or come here. Seemed like the former, since he was alone.

Mike remembered the last time he'd gotten moonstruck—fallen under the spell of the full moon—he'd woken up in an alley the next morning with no memory of the previous night. Whatever he'd done, his girlfriend dumped him for it, which was why he'd moved to Australia to stay with his uncle and aunt in the first place.

The moon was rising: Mike could feel it. He got up, and jumped into the Moon Pool. As always, ten seconds after hitting the water, he transformed with a flash, magically trading his clothes for an orange merman tail. The edge of the moon began to peek over the edge of the crater in the roof, and Mike looked up.

The water began to bubble around Mike, droplets rising up on the moonbeams. The same magic that had turned him and the girls into merfolk in the first place swelled, and he grinned. But something was different.

As the moon moved into place, Mike realized. It was blue. He stared at it in amazed disbelief, but before he could even wonder what was about to happen, everything turned white. Mike tried to swim, but then everything exploded.

Just as suddenly as he'd gone, Mike landed flat on his stomach with a grunt. No longer was he in the dark Moon Pool, but lying in blazing sunlight on a sand floor. He could hear shouting, and the clash of weapons. Pushing himself up, Mike stared around in bewilderment.

He lay flat on his stomach in a wide arena, decorated with banners of gears and cogs, and full of cheering monsters. Up ahead of him stood a group of confused teenagers, staring at him. A little water dripped into Mike's eyes, and he brushed his hair out of his face.

"Who are you? What are you doing in here?" A male voice demanded, and Mike's gaze was drawn to a box seat. In it stood a second robot and the speaker, a man in red and white spandex wearing a helmet. Mike was more confused than ever.

"Mike Gilbert, and I don't really know, magic, I think," he said, pushing himself up on his elbows. He could feel the sunlight starting to dry him out, but not as fast as he wanted.

"Whatever he is, he must have stumbled through the portal. Fine, destroy him too!" The robot exclaimed.

"Tommy!" The blonde in front of Mike protested.

"He's not even with us, Gasket, leave him alone," a dark-skinned girl added.

"Be quiet, Power Rangers," the stranger spat, as a group of monsters closed in on them from all sides. Thinking fast, Mike raised his hand, and drew the water molecules across his body and seeping into the sand together. As he dried off, he changed back into a fully-clothed human, and a water tentacled materialized in front of him. Springing to his feet, Mike gestured, and the tentacle slammed into the nearest monster. It howled and stumbled back into its fellows, dripping.

"What?" Both Tommy and Gasket shouted, springing to their feet. The Power Rangers were staring at Mike in amazement. The merman grinned at them.

"How did you do that?" A dark-haired youth asked.

"Jason, the guy was a merman five seconds ago; I think superpowers aren't out of the question," the last teen, an Asian, added. Jason nodded slowly.

"I can see you're powerful, stranger," Tommy said, rising and leaping into the arena. He landed right in front of Mike with a thump, sending up a cloud of dust. "Let's see if you can best the King of the Machine Empire."

"Tommy, snap out of it!" The Asian teen yelled.

"He's your friend, isn't he?" Mike said, turning towards the others. They nodded. "Okay, I won't hurt him."

"Mike, don't!" The black girl called. Shaking his head, Mike faced Tommy again, and raised a hand. As the "King" took a swing at him, Mike called on his Leptokinesis, accessing the molecules of dirt beneath Tommy.

As Mike darted away from the punch, the ground collapsed beneath Tommy, and he fell up to his waist. Quickly, Mike reached for the molecules of Tommy's suit, somehow knowing that he needed to get rid of it. There was a red flash, and Mike was staring at a long-haired young man struggling in the ground.

"Oh wow," Jason said, after a second of shock. Mike just grinned. Quickly, the others gathered around Tommy, and began trying to talk him out of the whole "King thing." The monsters in the stands began to get up, muttering, but Mike raised a hand and they sat down again. Then there was a commotion from behind the group, and Mike turned around to see Rikki and Emma stumble into the arena. They actually looked pretty cool about the whole thing.

There was an uneasy flutter in Mike's stomach. Something wasn't right about this. Rikki and Emma weren't supposed to be here. The Power Rangers had finished restoring their friend's actual memory, and now watched Mike.

"Mike?" Emma asked, looking nervously at the monsters. "Phoebe was right: there was something really weird about that blue moon." Rikki immediately put up her fists, glaring at the monsters in the stands. Then she looked at Tommy, and seemed to recognize him.

"Now that we're all here, let's get this over with," the curly-haired girl said, coming over to Mike.

"Right," both Emma and Tommy said. For a second, Mike thought the girls were going for their lockets, but was surprised by a set of mini gyroscopes. "Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

For a minute, Mike just stared at the three Hourglass Rangers without comprehending them. They'd surrounded him, and both monsters and other teens stared in utter confusion. Then something clicked in the back of Mike's mind. These guys were really, really bad news. He raised a hand, but the Viridian Ranger caught it and twisted it behind his back.

"Hourglass Revolver!" The Cerulean Ranger shouted, and quickly transformed it into Trank Mode. Mike flipped over Xanthe's arm and kicked the weapon aside, slamming an elbow into Garfield's gut. The Akra in the teen's back crackled a little, and he reached for the water inside the nearest Ranger's—Isinia's—body. She cried out in pain, doubling over, and then Xanthe seized Mike's skull between her hands.

"Stop that right now!" The Aquitian ordered. Mike let out a hard laugh, and aguakinetically threw her across the arena. She hit a wall and crumpled, but Mike held out a hand, dragging her back across the sand towards him. He was a mild-mannered guy, but these three were trying to wreck his life.

"Punjab Lasso, Phantom Noose!" A rope snared Mike around the throat, and he was yanked flat on his back. Before he could do anything, Garfield pulled off his helmet, bent down and spat on Mike's face. Startled, the teen didn't react until it was a second too late—he'd transformed back into a merman.

As the Akra host tried to crawl away, Garfield simply plunked down on his chest and injected him. A lot. The hot sand burned Mike's skin, but the needle was cold. The other Power Rangers couldn't seem to decide what to make of the scene. The monsters had apparently decided to let one enemy destroy the other before getting involved.

"What—?" Isinia panted.

"You jumped into a show my Mum used to watch all the time. I know how this works," Garfield replied. With a shaking hand, Mike wiped off the spit, and felt himself change back into human form just as he lost consciousness.

* * *

Thoughts from 2017: Oh no, this episode. It's not entirely my fault; this was submitted by one of my regulars, Rye Lee, but yeah, I don't know why this is the only non-Power Rangers property I crossed over with.


	22. Chapter 22: Angel Grove, Oct 17, 1995

**Angel Grove, October 17th, 1995**

Isinia walked up to Angel Grove High, and glanced around. She was disguised as Kat this time, which meant sometime between 1995 and 1997. Glancing around, she quickly spotted the other Rangers—Rocky, oddly enough, was off by himself. No, wait, he was talking to Miss Appleby. And yes, beside her stood a slim blonde, eyeing the Ranger.

"Hey, what's going on?" Isinia asked, joining the group. Rocky wore a red shirt, which confirmed that this was 1995.

"Oh, hello Kat. This is Alyssa Richardson, she's new in town, and I was hoping some of you and your friends could help show her around," Miss Appleby said, putting a hand on Alyssa's shoulder. Isinia smiled warmly at the Akra host, and noted a tattoo showing on her shoulder. It was a green dragon, and it looked like it continued across her back.

"It's great to meet you, Alyssa," she said.

"You can call me Aly, actually," the blonde replied. Her voice was so sweet it nearly made Isinia wince. Rocky actually did wince, covering it with a fake sneeze. He recovered quickly, just as the bell rang. "You said you were in Biology One, Rocky?"

"Yeah, I'll show you the way," the Red Ranger replied, offering Aly an arm. With a little giggle, she took it, and the two walked off. Miss Appleby sighed happily.

"I knew it the minute they set eyes on each other," she said.

"I see what you mean," Isinia replied, grinning at the teens' backs. Then she decided to obey the bell, and hurried off. She hoped this Akra was the plot-loving kind. Human academics, especially high school, had always intensely bored her.

* * *

Rescue didn't come until the end of the week. The Rangers were gathered in Ernie's Juice Bar, finishing up a group study session. It was packed with kids, and the noise was distracting. Garfield checked his watch, and began stuffing books into his bag.

"Off to meet your girl with the dragon tattoo?" Aisha asked, with a deliberately casual air. Garfield didn't reply, or even look up.

"You've gotten pretty cozy with Aly lately," Adam added, grinning.

"I'm just showing her around, no big deal," Garfield said. The Rangers exchanged a mischievous look.

"Yeah, in four days you've shown her the Juice Bar, the ice skating rink," Isinia began.

"The movies, the park," Aisha added.

"Every single part of the school," Adam chimed in.

"And I bet you were planning on showing her the dance tomorrow night, weren't you?" Tommy finished. Garfield's ears turned pink, and he laughed a little, awkwardly.

"Maybe. She's nice." None of the group could argue with that: Aly had been nothing but sweetness and light to everyone she met. Then the door opened, and speak of the devil, Aly walked in. Garfield got up quickly, knocking his book bag over and spilling its contents all over the floor. Concerned, Aly darted over as Garfield started cleaning up.

"Don't worry about it," Aisha interrupted, coming around and picking the stuff up. "You two go have fun; we'll drop this off at your house for you."

"Thanks." Aly beamed at her, and she and Garfield left the Juice Bar. Isinia helped Aisha pick up Garfield's work, incidentally finding out that Garfield's handwriting was even worse than she'd suspected, for a blind man.

But just as the group was getting ready to head home, Tommy's communicator watch beeped. They glanced around. Gathering their things, they wove through the crowd to a quiet corner, and Tommy answered the watch.

"Rangers, Rocky's being attacked by a monster at the park!" The Rangers exchanged a grim look.

"Ninja Ranger Power, now!"

The morph and teleport were blurs of light, and then the Rangers found themselves in the park. Isinia looked around, and quickly spotted the monster. It looked like it had been a telephone pole recently, and it stood over a fallen Garfield. He was still morphed, but his suit was scorched and smoking.

"Oh, your friends are here, wonderful!" It exclaimed, and whirling, fired a beam of white light at the group from its bulb-like head. The blast slammed into Isinia like a ton of bricks, and she fell down. The others did as well, and Isinia doubled over in pain, clutching her chest.

"That was too easy! Let's take care of you first, Red Ranger!" The monster yelled, turning back to Garfield. He demorphed, tried and failed to get back up, and settled for glaring at the monster. But as it fired, there was a shriek, and Aly darted into the path of the blast.

"No!" Garfield yelled, and surged to his feet. Laughing, the monster teleported away, leaving the group to pick themselves up. Aly groaned, and Garfield ran over to her, dropping down beside her. "This is all my fault!"

* * *

Xanthe sat in a corner of the Moon Palace, clutching her knees to her chest and face buried in her arms. She'd discarded her disguise the second the Akra influence let her—no wonder Rita always head headaches; that hairdo weighed something like twenty pounds! The Aquitian was unbearably thirsty, and the voices wouldn't let up.

"…Daughter, you are not concentrating…" Her mother intoned distantly.

"…A monster. Do you hear me? You're a monster!" One of Gerard's old victims shrieked, cowering against a wall.

"What's the point of all this, really?" The White Ranger asked, from where she leaned against the wall. "You're systematically ruining the lives of people who've done nothing to you."

" _ **Enough!"**_ Xanthe screamed, clutching her head. She was sobbing almost hysterically, but without tears. Moon vermin scuttled away from her in a panic as she clawed at her head, drawing blood. Her shrieks were raspy enough to be mistaken for Rita's. The fit faded, and Xanthe just rocked back and forth, hiccuping.

Then a hand came down on her shoulder, and she froze. It was gloved and surprisingly gentle. Someone crouched beside her with a rustle of fabric. Xanthe inhaled a faint, sweetly rich scent, some Earth flower she didn't recognize.

"It's all right." Xanthe's head snapped up at the familiar voice of the White Ranger. But unlike all the other times, the voice was almost kind. The hand let go, and Xanthe heard her undoing the snaps of her helmet. Turning, Xanthe looked as the White Ranger pulled off her helmet. Brown hair streaked with silver tumbled over her shoulders, and Xanthe's breath caught in her throat.

The woman looked human, but somehow more. She was utterly flawless, looking somewhere between eighteen and ageless. She smiled sadly at Xanthe, and put a hand on the side of her sweaty, bleeding face. With a little flare of pink light, Xanthe's cuts healed.

"I'm so sorry this had to happen to you, Xanthe. Here." She put both hands on Xanthe's face, and shut her eyes. A smooth, cool feeling washed through Xanthe's body, and she shivered a little. The White Ranger smiled. "Feel better?"

"Who are you, and why have I been seeing you in my head?" Xanthe asked, sitting up straight and swiping at her running nose. The White Ranger smiled, showing off a mouthful of flawless pearly whites.

"My name is Saffron Oliver Grace-Drake. I'm the first Akra, and they made me their Queen. Let me just take care of that telepathy problem of yours—" she touched one finger to the little gem between Xanthe's eyes, and with a shock, the voices vanished, "—and let's talk."

"Th-thank you," Xanthe managed, after a second of shock. She met the Akra Queen's gaze evenly. "I will not betray my teammates."

"I'm not asking you to. I just want you to do your job—just not here," Saffron replied. She held up a Portal Pointer. "The coordinates have already been set. Just take your team here, and remove these parasites. They're out of control."

Xanthe heaved a sigh, gazing at the Portal Pointer. Saffron waited patiently. Then, sitting up, Xanthe reached out and took it.

"They'll be suspicious if we don't get rid of this Akra," she said. Saffron put up her hands.

"That's all right; take care of Aly, just be gentle, please?" Xanthe snatched the Portal Pointer out of her hands.

* * *

Aly walked into the Juice Bar, a little unsteady, and caught herself on a countertop. She glanced around, and spotted Rocky beating the tar out of a punching bag, with Tommy spotting for him. Ernie spotted her first, and his face lit up with a huge grin.

"Aly! You're out of the hospital!" He exclaimed. Tommy heard, but Rocky was too intent on the punching bag. Putting a finger to her lips, Aly gave Ernie a teasing little grin, and he nodded knowingly. Quietly, Aly tiptoed up behind Rocky, catching Tommy's eye and winking. Finally, Rocky stopped to breathe.

"Wow, what did that punching bag do to you?" Aly asked, handing him a towel. Rocky took it, put it around his neck, and then did a perfect double take. Aly doubled over laughing, and Rocky just stared.

"You—" he stammered.

"I got better! Hospitals are good for that," Aly chuckled. Rocky responded by seizing her in a hug, to the surprise of everyone but Ernie. He just shook his head knowingly, and went on with his business. Realizing that people were staring, Rocky coughed, and started to let go.

"Sorry," he began, but Aly grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't be." They kissed, prompting a few wolf whistles from various others in the room, including Tommy, of all people. Rocky threw him a very quick glare.

At that point, however, a horde of Tengas flew in through the doors and windows, shattering several, and swarmed the group. Teens screamed and fled, pursued by the squawking oversized crows. Aly and Rocky broke apart, and the Red Ranger dropped into a fighting stance. But as the first Tengas ran for him, Aly was seized by the elbow. She yelled and threw out a hand, and the Tenga was slammed into a wall with a thump.

"Aly?" Rocky exclaimed, bewildered. Aly looked down at her hand as if it had turned green. Then a grin crossed her face, and she gestured towards a row of bewildered Tengas. They all flew back into the walls, letting out shrieks of confusion and anger.

"Yeah!" Aly whooped, and with another gesture, picked up all of the Tengas. She slammed them into the ceiling, then the floor, then hurled them all out the windows. One of the few who had escaped her attack suddenly seized her by the arms. With a yelp, the girl somersaulted, slamming him into the floor. His claws tore the back of her shirt open, exposing the dragon tattoo snaking up her back. Its eyes glowed blue as Aly's did, and beams shot from Aly's eyes into the Tenga. It exploded, showering black feathers over everyone.

"No way," Tommy said, uncharacteristically reluctant to morph. There was a crack of thunder, and with a flash, Rita and Zedd appeared before the group. The Tengas retreated behind them, and Tommy and Rocky dropped into fighting stances.

"This does not concern you, Rangers," Zedd growled. "I wish to speak with this human girl."

"Yeah? Why should I talk to you?" Aly retorted, eyes flashing blue. Zedd and Rita both looked nervous, and the witch took over.

"We just wanted to offer you a chance to rule the universe alongside us. You can even have this measly little planet when we're through."

"Who do you think you're kidding?" Aly snapped. "No! Never!" The other Rangers teleported in behind her, dropping into fighting stances.

"Well, then, since we're all here," Rita began, shifting her staff to her other hand and reaching under her bodice, "Sands of Time, Rise Up!" Rocky and Kat both joined her in shouting something about time rising up, and morphed with flashes—into three totally unfamiliar Rangers.

Then Aly recognized them with a jolt. Toppled Hourglass. Her eyes blazed blue, and she fired her eye beams at them. A blue noose shot towards her, but she somersaulted out of the way. The Russet Ranger shouted and slammed her fists into the floor, which split with a rumble. Throwing out a hand, Aly telekinetically hurled her through the air.

Aly felt her dragon tattoo's eyes light up as hers did, and she fired. The laser hit the Cerulean Ranger in the gut, drawing sparks, and he doubled over. But as Aly moved in for the kill, the floor dropped out from under her. She fell for a second, landing flat on her back and knocking all of the wind out of her lungs. Before she could get up, she heard a click, and a gun barrel pressed her brow, right between her eyes. Three Time Force officers stood over her, glaring.

"Don't try anything," the Asian man said. "Sanchez?" The one woman took up a hypodermic, and swiped the side of Aly's neck with a cotton swab. Aly flinched at the cold, then the needle pricking her throat. A warm, numb sensation flowed out from the spot.

"Well, that was decent of you," a strange woman's voice broke in. The trio whirled around, and Aly looked up to see a White Ranger— _the_ White Ranger—standing behind them. She held up a Portal Pointer. "Surprised? I had one of my geniuses trace the signal back to you. You should probably surrender now."

The three exchanged frightened glances, and the Asian man dropped into a fighting stance. The White Ranger shook her head. Aly was growing woozy, and the edges of her vision blurred. She fought it; she wanted to see this.

"Who exactly do you think you are? I've killed six Rangers in battle. Don't waste my time." She held up a hand, and white tendrils shot out of her glove. They seized the man by the throat, hurling him into his companions. Sanchez somersaulted away, drawing a gun and firing, but the White Ranger blocked the shots with a wall of fire.

"…Awesome," Aly breathed. Everything was slowing down. As she fainted, she saw the white tendrils bind the three Time Force officers hand and foot. Then the White Ranger came over to her, crouching down as Aly lost consciousness.


	23. Chapter 23:  Northside, July 14th, 2010

**Space, July 14** **th** **, 2010**

Xanthe found herself in white hospital pajamas, lying on a bed. For a moment, she panicked, thinking she'd been captured, but came back to her senses when she realized that the Akra wouldn't have let her take human disguise. Quickly, she sprang up, darted to the nearest shiny surface, and checked herself.

She was a dark-haired girl in her mid-teens, with skin the color of caramel. Xanthe squinted at her reflection. She didn't recognize herself, but there was a sort of resemblance to Alyssa, the Wild Force White Ranger. Was she meant to be offspring? Wouldn't that normally be a Sue's position?

"It would," the Akra Queen's voice cut in. Xanthe saw the White Ranger's reflection standing behind her own, and whirled around. There was nothing behind her, just the reflection all by itself. "Calm down, Xanthe, please. I'm just using our mental link to talk to you. This is an odd case, which is why I brought you in at all."

Xanthe eyed the reflection. Then she heard a quiet sort of groan, and looked around. On another bed lay a sleeping boy who looked uncannily like her. There was an orange band around his wrist. Xanthe felt a wave of relief that she hadn't woken him, and then one of guilt at the realization that she was doing exactly what she'd accused him of back during the Detra incident.

"Xanthe?" The Akra Queen asked. The Aquitian turned to the wall panel, and gnawed her lip. "These Akra are internally placed, not attached to the back. They'll have to be surgically removed, which your Time Force friends couldn't do even if they had the technology," the Akra Queen explained. "There are several of them, which keeps their influence low, so you'll have to be more alert to detect them."

"Who and where are we? This looks like one of your ships," Xanthe said, glancing around the room. It was very small and bare, stark white and silver. Akra Queen folded her arms.

"It is," she replied tautly. "Your disguise is part of an irrelevant project." Xanthe cracked a smile.

"You couldn't handle them yourself," she said. "You must be very desperate, calling in your sworn enemies to do your work for you."

"Just do your job," the Queen snapped. She gestured, and vanished with a smudge of light. Xanthe straightened, just as she heard a grunt from Garfield. Turning, Xanthe came over to the Cerulean Ranger, sitting down on her own bed.

Slowly, Garfield's eyes opened, and he rolled over, pillowing his head on one arm. He turned towards Xanthe, sending a blank stare through her stomach, roughly. His now-black hair fell into his eyes, and he blew it away with a huff.

"Garfield?" Xanthe noticed that her voice was sweeter than it had been. Her teammate snorted, pushing up on his elbow, rested his head on his fist.

"Xanthe or Isinia?"

"Xanthe. I'm afraid we haven't encountered these Rangers before, and there are multiple Akra," Xanthe said. Garfield tilted his head towards her mouth.

"How exactly do you know that? Mind-reading going wonky again?" He asked.

"Yes," Xanthe lied. Garfield's brow furrowed slightly, but he shifted into a more comfortable position. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered just a little, and the room trembled. An engine hummed through the walls.

"Xanthe, have you thought about what we're going to do when we're done with this job?"

"Aside from going home, no," the Aquitian replied, shaking her head. Garfield's mouth tugged up in a mirthless smile.

"I really wish that was an option for me," he said.

"Why not? Your home universe will recover from Venjix's attack," Xanthe countered. Garfield's face fell a little, and he shifted, head tipping down towards his bare feet.

"Eventually, with a lot of work. Kind of hate to admit it, but I think I've had enough of _that_ ," Garfield muttered. He swung his feet a little, heels bouncing against the metal bed's legs, which were thick and curved inwards.

"I understand. I think that's a selfish and somewhat lazy attitude, but I understand," Xanthe said, with a slight bite in her voice. Garfield's head snapped up, and he let out an incredulous laugh.

"Selfish?" Xanthe fixed him with a hard look.

"It's your world. Why should you abandon it simply because it's hard work?" Xanthe folded her arms. Garfield's face darkened.

"Why not? What do I have to go back to?" Garfield snapped. "Everything and everyone I have left is here! I had nothing when you saved my miserable hide, and now I've got a mission and wingmates I'd live and die for. If I go to Corinth City, I'll lose everything all over again. No thanks, I am not going to go back to being a crippled veteran in a world on life support!"

Garfield was breathing very fast, and somewhat flushed. Xanthe just looked at him, speechless. The spaceship shook, probably entering the atmosphere, and both Rangers grabbed their beds to keep from falling.

"I…must admit, I hadn't thought about it that way," she managed at last. Garfield let out a little, bitter laugh.

"Tell me about it," he muttered, getting up. Xanthe opened her mouth, paused, and spoke carefully.

"Garfield…there is a place on Aquitar called the Eternal Falls, whose waters have been known to cause miraculous healings. Although they are less than reliable, even among Aquitians…maybe we could try." Garfield turned back towards Xanthe. His expression softened a little.

"Okay, that could work," he said quietly. "Thank you. Now," he switched to a more businesslike tone, "We've got more than one Akra, you said?"

* * *

 **Northside, Same Day**

For a few minutes, Isinia thought she was back on war-torn Sirius. There were monsters everywhere, the city was ablaze, and civilians were trying to escape the chaos. Realizing that they (and her disguise) were human, Isinia snapped out of it, and looked around. She didn't see any Rangers.

Battered civilians scrambled across the street, avoiding blasts from a laughing trio of dog creatures. Roaring, a humanoid lion breathed fire through the doors of a sagging skyscraper, eliciting screams from within. An armored pig cornered a set of teenagers by a bridge, snorting and raising an axe. One of the girls screamed, and the boy tried to shield the other two from the creature. Quickly, Isinia checked herself. No morphers but her own.

"Fine," she said, with a shake of her head, and drew her Gyro Morpher. "Sands of Time, Rise Up!"

 _Isinia stands in the shadows of Stonehenge, lit by a red-orange sunset. The hourglass in her paw glows orange, and the sand explodes around her in an orange cloud. Whirling like a cyclone, it forms her Ranger suit._

" _Russet Hourglass Ranger!"_

"Brass Knuckles, Fist Pound!" She shouted, slamming the weapons into the ground. The pig monster swung its axe far back over its head, overbalanced and fell as the pavement split, vanishing into the crevasse with a terrified squeal. The dog monsters' aim went awry, and their victims darted down an alley. Snarling, growling and rumbling, the creatures all turned towards Isinia, who dropped into a fighting stance.

"Where did you come from, Sirian?" The lion-thing growled, flexing its claws.

"Does it matter?" Isinia retorted. She flexed her fingers in the Brass Knuckles. "I'm not alone, if you're wondering."

The lion charged, teet bared, and Isinia punched it in the mouth. There was a crunch, and the creature fell back, spitting fangs and sparks and yowling like a kicked cat. Two of the dog monsters latched onto Isinia's ankles, and the Sirian somersaulted. The monsters were flung into their fellow, and Isinia yanked herself away. Her boots were torn, and she felt bruises coming, but she wasn't seriously hurt.

"Fist Pound!" She shouted, driving her forepaws into the pavement. The ground tore open, and one of the dog monsters fell in, yipping in terror. The other two scrambled up and ran, tails between their legs. Moaning, the lion pushed itself up on its forepaws and knees, and looked at Isinia. She dropped into a warning fighting stance, and he bolted.

Isinia straightened, and turned a full circle. The city around her was devastated. She could see battered buildings in every direction, except where they disappeared into the haze of smoke. The noises of screaming, roaring and destruction crashed in on her keen ears, and the air stank. Isinia looked down at herself.

"Better to be caught fighting than let these people suffer," she said to herself, with a firm nod, and charged into the city, a bright orange smudge in a black-and-grey world.

* * *

Garfield and Xanthe slipped down a hall of the spaceship, trying to avoid the battered refugees piling inside. They'd landed a few hours ago, and already people from the town outside were pouring in. It was called Northside, it had been under attack by a horde of monsters, and the local Power Rangers were named the Mesozoic Giants.

Finally, the two reached the sickbay, where they'd heard two of the Rangers had been brought. Akra always went for Rangers, so this seemed as good a place to start as any. The rest were still trying to drive out the monsters.

The sickbay was packed, full of coughing, dirty, wounded people. Xanthe saw Garfield's nose wrinkle, and nearly sneezed herself; the place and people stank. How could the Akra stand it? Was it camouflage for their flowery scent?

Then a girl stumbled right into them, nearly bowling Xanthe over. Garfield caught them both, steadying the stranger, and Xanthe looked at her in bewilderment. The newcomer was an Amerasian girl in spectacles, shiny with sweat and shoulders hunched. She muttered an apology and tried to go on past, but Xanthe caught her by the shoulder.

"I don't think you should be going anywhere," the Aquitian said. She felt the girl's forehead with her knuckles. It was very hot to the touch, but the girl pushed her hand away.

"They need me. Monsters still everywhere," she mumbled. Xanthe looked more closely at the girl. Looking past the bloodshot eyes, flushed skin and dirt, she looked familiar…

"You're one of the Rangers?" Garfield asked.

"Kayla Cranston, White Ranger—at least, I think so. Things have been moderately insane lately," the girl replied, pushing her glasses up her nose. At the name drop, Xanthe's eyes narrowed. Kayla saw it, and cocked her head to the side. "Are you new? They told us they were waking up the clones that were ready. The fake memories aren't fun to come to terms with.

A woman in a once-white lab coat came around the corner, and stopped at the sight of the group. Then she came forward, and took Kayla by the shoulders, only to be gently pushed away.

"No, thanks but I don't want to go back to bed," Kayla said, "I'm useless and bored out of my mind there. Let go."

This isn't optional," the woman replied, and led the still-arguing Kayla away.

"I'm perfectly capable of technical assistance. They need people who can understand programming and and cloning processes and mental reprogramming technology. Look, would I be using this many multisyllabic words if I were really that sick?" Kayla's voice continued as she went out of sight. After a moment, Garfield turned and headed out of the sickbay. Xanthe hurried after him.

"When you see a computer, stop me," Garfield said, as they wove through the civilians. "Something really different is going on here."

"Understood," Xanthe said, and looked around. It took several minutes for them to find a computer, but once they did, it didn't take long to find the ship's log. Xanthe hit the play button, and a woman's voice began narrating.

"Captain's Log, date 5/13/1998. Silverstar successfully integrated into Northside, all residents removed or recycled." Xanthe sucked in a sharp breath, and Garfield muttered a swear word. "We've begun working with our cloning materials, and we've got three clones growing—combined DNA from Scott Truman and Tenaya 7, Dillon and Summer Landsown, and Ziggy Grover and Doctor K. We haven't worked out a good development acceleration technique yet, though."

"Xanthe, skim?" Garfield asked. Xanthe typed for a moment, eyes darting over the screen.

"She talks about cloning techniques, stealing Ranger DNA, and trying to create morphers out of something other than White Akra—here," she said, clicking play again. The female captain seemed to have loosened up a lot between the logs; she sounded casual, almost slightly tipsy.

"Captain's Log, 8/15/1999. Mom's captured Finneus—he used to be Finster till the Z-Wave—and now we've got some real morphers. We're going to try for a full team now, and they'll be the next generation of Mighty Morphin', only not quite because we can't re-create powers. They'll have a dinosaur theme, anyway."

"I think we have our Akra," Xanthe said. She skipped a little bit further, and scanned the list of names. "This next generation." There was a commotion, and the refugees began talking. Glancing towards them, Xanthe caught enough to realize that the Mesozoic Rangers had returned. Turning off the computer, she stood up straight. "Shall we go?"

"Are you sure? Don't we normally wait a while to make sure?" Garfield asked, as Xanthe began walking. The Aquitian glimpsed a white blur out of the corner of her eye, and ignored it.

"They're the children of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. I really doubt they could be anything but Akra hosts."

"But I haven't felt a thing, and we pretty much walked into one of them!" Garfield retorted, as they went further into the ship.

"You saw how sick she was," Xanthe said, stepping over a person who looked more like a bundle of cloth than a boy, dragging Garfield by the hand. There was a silvery door up ahead marked "meeting room," and Xanthe headed for it.

"I'm telling you, I barely sense a thing!" Garfield snapped, as the doors opened to let a teenage boy out. Inside were several more teens and an old man, and they seemed upset. Xanthe leaned past the stranger to look inside. Now that she knew what she was looking for, she recognized the crying girl being comforted by her teammates as Kimberly's daughter. Xanthe could practically smell the sadness radiating from her.

"Can you feel that?" She demanded, pointing right at Belle. The girl looked up in confusion, swiping at her red eyes. Garfield frowned.

"Yeah. I think you might be right."

"What's going on?" The one who'd been leaving asked, folding his arms. The two Hourglass Rangers drew their morphers out.

"Taking care of a few out-of-control Akra," Xanthe replied, her expression stony. The older man at the head of the table sprang up, apparently realizing what they were doing as they activated the Gyro Morphers.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!"


	24. Chapter 24: Same Place, Same Date

**Same Place, Same Date**

 _Xanthe poses inside a clock tower, surrounded by bronzed cogs and wheels. The hourglass in her right hand shines green, and the sand bursts out. It covers her, forming her suit, and the image of the hourglass forms her helmet._

 _"Viridian Hourglass Ranger!"_

 _Garfield stands before a huge, dripping water clock. The hourglass in his hand glows blue, and the sand explodes around him in a blue storm. Swirling wildly, it forms his Ranger suit._

" _Cerulean Hourglass Ranger!"_

Drawing their Hourglass Revolvers, the two Rangers began shooting the room full of tranquilizer gas. Garfield heard the Mesozoic Rangers start morphing, and began to summon his Punjab Lasso, when Xanthe screamed. Her Hourglass Revolver clattered to the floor.

"Xanthe?" Garfield turned towards her, just in time to get a morning star over the head. He fell to his hands and knees with a grunt, dove away from the secong blow, and scrambled over towards Xanthe.

"No! Getoutgetoutgetout!" Xanthe shrieked, just as the main Akra host let out a cry. She fell out of her chair with a thump, and her teammates ran to her aid.

"Xanthe!" Garfield seized her by the shoulders, and Xanthe's arm jerked out reflexively. Garfield caught her wrist, and twisted her arm quickly behind her back. The Aquitian threw him across her back with a swift, low bow, and slammed an elbow into his solar plexus. All the wind shot out of Garfield's lungs in a grunt.

"Akra Queen inside my head!" Xanthe cried quickly. She choked on a word, and then whirled towards the Mesozoic Rangers. "Stop me—knock me out or put me in an Akra-proof—" She cut herself off with a scream, and tore off her helmet, falling to her knees with a thump.

"Right," Garfield stammered, scrambling back up. He felt around for his Hourglass Revolver, and his fingers brushed it—just as another gloved hand clamped down on it. "Let me—I know how it works!" He exclaimed.

"What does it do?" A boy demanded. Xanthe let out another agonized scream, and Garfield grabbed for it.

"Knockout drug, give it!" Garfield yelled. He heard a staccato of footsteps, and an angry yelp, and then his Hourglass Revolver was shoved into his hands.

"Take care of both of them," a different boy ordered.

"Kev!"

"Thanks," Garfield said, switching it into Trank Mode. He followed Xanthe's cries, caught a handful of her hair—"Sorry," he added hastily—and injected her in the throat. The Aquitian stiffened with a little gasp, and then fell on her side. A quick check confirmed that she was breathing, and her pulse was normal. Garfield nodded, and went to the other girl. Another quick injection, and she too went silent.

Garfield sat back on his haunches, and heaved an exhausted sigh. The ship's air systems kicked in, and the gas was soon sucked out of the room. Someone took his Hourglass Revolver away from him. Shaking his head, Garfield powered down, pulled off his Gyro Morpher, and held it out. Another gloved hand collected that.

"Who are you?" The first boy asked. Someone scooped up the Ranger Garfield had just knocked out, letting out a masculine grunt, and carried her away. Garfield felt the barrel of a hand gun press against the back of his head.

"Garfield Brooks, Cerulean Toppled Hourglass Ranger, and would you please put that thing away?" He replied, putting his hands on his head and standing up slowly.

"You've got a lot to explain, Garfield Brooks." The gun stayed right where it was. Other people moved around him, and Garfield heard Xanthe moan a little as she was picked up. He sucked in a slow breath.

"Is she all right?" He called over his shoulder. Nobody answered, and Garfield turned around fully, brushing the gun aside. "Hey, _is she all right?"_

"Looks like," a young woman replied from Xanthe's direction. Then she walked out the doors, and her footsteps were quickly buried in the noise of refugees outside. Garfield's shoulders slackened with relief, and he got up. The boy with the gun caught him by the elbow, but Garfield shoved his hand away.

"Oh, come off it," he said to the gun-wielder. In response, the Ranger shot Garfield in the foot. White-hot pian shot through his foot, and Garfield crumpled with a string of curses. Planting one hand on the floor, he felt the gun barrel, now hot, touch his right temple. It trembled a little.

"Jack, stand down," a second young man ordered. From the way he spoke, Garfield guessed he was a Red—or possibly a sixth Ranger. He was getting used to the color-personality standards.

"Who put you in charge?" Jack snapped.

"Everyone else," a girl put in. Garfield, clutching his ankle, heard rapid footsteps, and then the gun was yanked out of Jack's hands. A hard hand clamped down on Garfield's upper arm, and hauled him upright. Putting weight on his wounded foot hurt, and Garfield yelped. He was shoved into a leather-padded chair, which swiveled as Garfield clutched at it.

"What good would this guy be to us dead?" The Red Ranger snapped.

"Who said anything about killing him?" Jack replied. Garfield swallowed hard. The pain in his foot had faded to a steady throb, and the skin around the wound stung at every breeze. Hesitantly, he held out a hand, and bumped into a smooth table at chest height. Carefully, he set both hands on it, keeping them where everyone else could see them.

"Wouldn't the Queen be mad if you went ahead and did something drastic yourselves?" He asked. "We've been kind of a thorn in her side for a while."

"The Akra Queen?" The Red Ranger sounded distracted.

"You guys have another Queen I don't know about?"

"We aren't working for the Akra. Just the opposite, really," the same girl as before said. "They've been after us since we ruined their experiment." Garfield's head snapped up, and his brow furrowed in sudden thought.

"Then why would we—oh!" He snapped his fingers. "The Akra getting into Xanthe's head way back when! Oh great." He buried his head in his arms, and ran his hands through his tangled hair. If the Akra could hack into their portals, next time they might just end up right in the middle of their base. Wait…could that have happened to Isinia? He hadn't seen hide nor hair of her since arriving.

"What are you talking about?" The Red Ranger asked. Garfield didn't look up.

"This is an Akra ship, right?" His voice was muffled by his sleeved arms and slurred with pain.

"Yeah. We hijacked it." Jack sounded proud of himself, and with reason. Garfield sat up and twisted around towards him.

"Just you guys?"

"Me and Belle, actually, with a couple clones we woke up." Garfield whistled, but it was weak, and he cut himself off with a little annoyed gasp. Awkwardly, he pulled his wounded foot up onto his other knee, and held it. His boot was burnt through around the injury.

"You still haven't answered my question," the Red Ranger interrupted.

"I'm getting to that. Check one of this ship's computers, look up 'Hourglass Facility' or 'Toppled Hourglass' or something like that. It'll explain, plus you'll actually believe it instead of me and ow!" Breathless, Garfield bent down and spat on his foot. The girl sounded grossed out, but the saliva did ease the pain a tiny bit. "Hey, you're the ones leaving me stuck with a bloody foot wound!" He snapped in her direction.

"Jack, check it out. Because you've got experience with this ship's technology, that's why, get going!" The Red Ranger ordered. Muttering a little, Jack stormed out.

"So nobody's going to do anything with me?" Garfield asked, leaning back against the chair and clenching his teeth.

"Mary, get him to a cell." There was a mumbled reply, and Garfield heard the girl coming around to him.

"Never mind the whole burnt foot thing, then?" Garfield put in bitterly.

"We've got plenty of life-or-death cases before we get to flesh wounds like that," the Red Ranger replied coldly. Remembering the refugees outside the room, Garfield shut his eyes, and nodded slowly. Mary came up beside him, and pulled him upright. She was considerate enough to slide in under his shoulder, though she moved stiffly.

"If it's all the same to you, can I go wherever you put Xanthe?" Garfield added, as they started hobbling towards the door. Garfield stretched out his free hand, brushing the doors as they slid open. The smell of unwashed people flowed over him, and Garfield gagged.

"Fine; save space anyway," the Red Ranger said. Relieved, Garfield nodded, and focused on walking without whimpering every other step. He didn't particularly care what the Mesozoic Rangers thought of him, but he could tell it was making Mary less comfortable—and thus less helpful leading him.

* * *

Saffron scrambled to her feet, brushing off the Monitors who'd gathered around their Queen. The young-looking woman swatted their hands away and shoved through the crowd, heading to a glass pillar in the middle of the room. Her telepathic station, a round console at standing hand height, was directly in front of this, and the force of the mental recoil had actually thrown Saffron away from it.

"Forget about me, what's happened to our access?" She demanded. Her limbs were still wobbly, but she ignored it, pushing her sweaty silver-streaked brown hair out of her face. The scientists went back to work, and Saffron glared into the tube, at the violet-spotted brain floating in it. Bubbles shot up through the liquid every few seconds, and the many tubes filtering out of the organ pulsed violet, as did the ridged lobes on its back half.

"Belle's too faint to reach," one woman reported. With a growl, Saffron planted both hands on the panels, and they began to flash with swirling colors. The brain began pulsing visibly, and Saffron closed her eyes.

"Xanthe," she whispered. Her brow furrowed, and her fingers tensed on the panels. Red-orange light whirled under her palms. "Xanthe, wake up. Let me in." nothing. The light grew deeper and more bloody, and the Akra Queen gritted her teeth. "Xanthe!"

The far door hissed open, and a teenage boy in a black version of the Akra uniform came inside. He looked about the same age as Saffron, and very like her, nearly her age. He ran over to Saffron, stopping up short as he saw what she was doing. With a frustrated noise, Saffron ripped her hands off the panels and whirled around. She was visibly seething.

"I almost had them!" She snapped.

"Hey, I saw the stuff you pulled out of that fish-girl's head; she's not exactly an easy target," the teen replied. Shaking her head, Saffron rubbed her hands on her jeans and strode past him. Unlike everyone else in the room, the Akra Queen wore a T-shirt and jeans, and she looked completely out of place among the advanced technology. "When will the battle ship be ready?"

"You're so eager to jump in and blow everything up," Saffron said, looking over her shoulder and shaking her head.

"Mom, they've got Tiffany!" Joshua protested. "Who knows what they'll do to her before we get there, especially if you can't even get into their heads!"

"I just don't want you to kill a bunch of perfectly good Akra to get her, is that so bad?" The Queen flopped into a tall swivel chair and crossed her legs. She fingered one of the high heels of her black boots absently. "We got Belle back, I bet we can go after a couple of the others."

"They're dormant," Joshua said, coming up to her. "You said so yourself. Even if some of them can get woken back up, it'll take some chemistry, and we can't do that until I've got them." He sat down in the chair beside his mother, leaned forward on his knees, and fixed her with a hard, blue-eyed gaze. "Mom, please, let me take the battle ship. I won't touch the Akra hosts. Besides, Toppled Hourglass is there. We need to get rid of them before they join forces."

The Akra Queen sighed, and looked around the room. The Akra scientists had gone back to their ordinary work. Aside from her telepathy station, there were no computers: the walls themselves were one big touch screen, with holographic capabilities. It had been Hourglass Facility's pride and joy: their logos were still all over the place.

"Okay," Saffron said at last. "Okay, fine. Blow them up good, will you?" She smiled wearily at her son. Joshua grinned, and raised his right hand, clenching it into a fist. His skin molded into a shiny, almost liquid substance, and then became a long silver blade. He gave it a swing, and it whistled in the air.

"Will do."


	25. Chapter 25: Hours Later

**Hours Later**

Garfield heard Xanthe's breathing change as she woke up. Setting down the first-aid kit he'd taken from his Pocket Dimension, he felt his way across the gap between the bench and her bunk. He had to hop a little to avoid using his bad foot, though the oily stuff he'd rubbed on the burn had dulled the pain a lot. Sitting down beside her, Garfield helped her as she sat up. Xanthe swayed a little, and Garfield caught her by the shoulders.

"Feeling okay?" He asked. Xanthe shuddered.

"Yes, for now," she replied. Then she sighed, and her turned her head towards Garfield. Her hair brushed the back of his hand. "I…I haven't been completely honest with you, Garfield."

"No kidding," Garfield replied, with a wry grin. Now Xanthe looked down at her lap. She started to speak, but Garfield held up a hand and shushed her. He could hear footsteps in the hall. Quickly, he threw the first aid kit back together and shoved it back in his Pocket Dimension—he didn't want it confiscated by their captors.

"Garfield—"

"Hey, I said shhh," the Cerulean Ranger said, putting a hand over Xanthe's mouth. "Someone's coming." He took his hand away, and knew he was being glared at. Xanthe's shoulders had tensed up, and she shoved his hand away. A muffled male voice came through the door, which opened with a hiss. Garfield almost rose, but a pang shot through his instep and stopped him. Xanthe tried to jump up, wobbled, and nearly fell but for Garfield's quick catch.

"Isinia!" She cried, and Garfield felt a pair of wide paws seize Xanthe by the upper arms. He grinned in sheer relief, and both Hourglass Rangers eased Xanthe back onto her seat. Someone else was breathing in a corner, and the door closed after a moment, leaving all four in the poky little room.

"The Mesozoic Rangers told me their side, and I explained who we are," Isinia said.

"Hang on: why are they listening to you and not us?" Garfield demanded, scooting away from Xanthe a little. He twisted his bad foot around to press the wound against the cold metal wall.

"You guys attacked us. She rescued our missing Ranger," the teen, that Red Ranger again, retorted.

"Ah. Fantastic. So where does that leave us? Like I said before, the only reason we attacked you was because we were looking for Akra—and from what you said before, we weren't wrong," Garfield pointed out, turning towards the Mesozoic Ranger.

"True," he admitted. "It's starting to look like this was a mistake—or we're being played against each other by someone bigger." Everyone knew who he was talking about. Garfield faced Xanthe again. She was nervous, twisting her hands in her lap and squirming a little.

"What happened to you back there, Xanthe?"

"It…honestly, it all began much earlier, while we were investigating Aly," Xanthe said. "But even before that, I've been having visions of the Queen. This time, though, it was really her. Sh-she took the other voices away—"

"Voices? You've been hearing voices?" Isinia interrupted. By Xanthe's quick, uneven breathing, she was near tears. She nodded.

"They've been driving me insane—I think literally. She cut out the telepathic interference and offered to let us all go, on condition that we took care of certain rebellious Akra for her. We've been hunting Akra for a long time, it didn't seem like a betrayal! She promised we would be left alone," Xanthe said, facing each of the room's other occupants in turn—Garfield could hear the change in pitch as she turned.

"What would have happened to us if you'd done it?" The Red Ranger asked, in a deliberately even tone.

"Time Force would have peeled off the Akra and dumped you back in your own timestream, probably wiping your memory," Garfield replied.

"We don't have another timestream. Cody does, but from what we've gathered, we're supposed to be some kind of new breed of Akra. Hosts cloned from combined Ranger DNA, surgically implanted Akra, entire lives composed of fake memories, like that."

"Ouch." Garfield winced. After a moment of silence, the Mesozoic Ranger left the room, closing—but not locking—the door after him. His footsteps faded down the hall. Forcing a grin, Garfield turned to Xanthe.

"So after all the flak you gave me for thinking about turning on you guys, you've been—" Xanthe let out a stifled sob, and Garfield realized he'd hit a little too close to the mark. He scooted closer to her and put one hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry."

"No, you're right," Xanthe replied, forcing the quiver in her voice back. She lifted her head with a sniff. "I shouldn't expect you to just forgive me for helping the Queen."

"Um, no, I forgive you all right—I mean, you were under a lot of stress and weren't actually betraying _us_ as far as you knew—I was just fishing for an apology," Garfield replied, with a sheepish smile. He felt Isinia lightly punch him in the arm, and then the Sirian reached past him to take Xanthe's hands.

"It's just as much our fault, Xanthe. We didn't look for a way to help you before the Queen came," she said.

"Though it might have helped if you'd told us it was getting that bad," Garfield muttered. This time both women hit him, and he recoiled, throwing up his arms. "Hey, it's true!" He accidentally put weight on his wounded foot, and bit back a curse.

"You're hurt?" Isinia suddenly became concerned.

"Some hotshot named Jack plugged me in the foot," Garfield replied, and bit the insides of his cheeks as the pain flared again. "They said they'd take care of it once all the life-threatening cases were taken care of. Decided not to wait." He began feeling around for his Pocket Dimension. Isinia bent down, picked it up and handed it to him, and Garfield grunted in thanks.

"Now what?" Xanthe sounded calmer than before. Garfield grinned at her as he picked up his foot and began digging around in the first aid kit. Her slim fingers slipped around his hands, and she pulled out a roll of bandage. "Let me." Garfield obeyed.

"Wait until they decide to trust us," Isinia replied. "But even if they don't, it shouldn't be a long wait. They don't have the luxury of time."

"Why not?" Garfield asked. Xanthe was as gentle as possible, but his foot still hurt when he moved it. He bit the insides of his cheeks. Isinia continued speaking.

"The boy who helped me rescue the lost Mesozoic Ranger explained the situation. When the Rangers accidentally destroyed their Akra controllers, the ones in charge of the entire project abandoned them, destroying almost half of the city in the process. The pirates who'd been attacking the Rangers moved in and enslaved everyone for a few days, until the Rangers repaired their morphers. They destroyed the pirate ship yesterday—but lost one of their own in the process."

Garfield hissed—both in pain and sympathy. Xanthe tied the bandage and began cleaning up the first aid kit.

"You're good at that," Garfield said.

"I can see what I'm doing—sorry," Xanthe sounded embarrassed. Garfield shrugged.

"Yeah, I noticed," he replied, with a tiny, bitter laugh. He turned his head towards the door, and furrowed his brow. "He didn't lock us in."

"Good. We'll be able to at least prove that we're willing to wait on their decision," Isinia said. Garfield nodded, and leaned back against the wall. Closing his eyes, he shifted into a more comfortable position, and was soon thoroughly lost in thought.

* * *

Garfield was snapped awake with a jolt and a snort, and glanced around wildly. The lights had turned off, leaving the room cold, and he could hear running footsteps. He'd fallen asleep sideways, legs curled up to his chest, and the Cerulean Ranger quickly straightened, grimacing as the blood began flowing back into his legs.

"What's going on?" He asked, hearing Isinia stirring nearby. Xanthe, whether she'd woken up earlier or never fallen asleep at all, sat beside him, breathing quietly.

"I can't tell." The Sirian got up and went to the door. It slid open as she reached it, and a breathless teen stopped in the doorway.

"Okay, you guys are in—but have you worked out how to keep the Queen from getting back into green girl's head?" A girl asked. Garfield realized that it was Mary.

"No," Xanthe answered before anyone else could. "And I want to stay in here until I do, so don't worry about that."

"Thanks, appreciate it, but we need you other two right now," Mary said, coming in and taking Garfield by the arm. He stumbled a little, and Mary stopped. "Foot okay?" Garfield tested his weight.

"I can fight morphed, I guess," he replied.

"Good enough. Come on!"

* * *

Xanthe stood up as the door closed behind her teammates, and closed her eyes. Delicately, she began telepathically feeling around the room. Being built to contain the telepathic Akra, cutting them off from the rest of the species, there were anti-telepathy fields built into the walls. Xanthe tagged each of them, just trying to see whether the Queen's help had given her self-control again. At least in here, it had.

Opening her eyes, Xanthe went to the door. She stopped in the doorway, and focused, raising her hands. She felt her lobes glowing violet. The people around her were mostly asleep, some dreaming, but Xanthe could still sense traces of Akra control hovering around them. Now came the real test—could she fight the Akra Queen herself?

"There you are." Xanthe wasn't surprised to hear the Akra Queen's voice. Saffron's reflection faced Xanthe from a shiny wall panel, arms folded and a cross look on her face. Xanthe's expression hardened, and she stood up straight.

"No," she said, clearly and firmly. The Queen looked confused. Xanthe could practically see the telepathic thread worming through her head. Reaching up, she caught it and twisted, dragging the Akra Queen out of the reflection and into her own mind room. Angry, the Queen fought it, but Xanthe quickly stepped back into the room.

Coming back out, Xanthe focused on her mind-room, and the Akra Queen appeared inside it. Xanthe joined her, morphed this time and ready.

"If you wish to talk inside my head, then you will do it on my terms," Xanthe said coldly. A murderous gleam flashed in the Akra Queen's eye, and then she let out a too-casual laugh.

"Fine, whatever you say!" She sat down in one chair with a thump, crossing her legs and folding her arms. Slouching back, she waited for Xanthe to sit. The Aquitian didn't. Instead, she came right up to the Akra Queen, and looked down at her.

"You have already seen my new memories, haven't you?" The Akra Queen snorted.

"Of course. What do you think I am, an idiot?" She demanded.

"No. Megalomaniacal, psychopathic, and quite possibly the most selfish being in the universe, but certainly not an idiot," Xanthe replied, deadpan. The Akra Queen raised her eyebrows, and let out a laugh. "Stop that."

"What? You don't have a sense of humor?" The Akra Queen leaned forward, meeting Xanthe's eye. She was still grinning. "Here you are, a mentally broken, physically exhausted Aquitian, insulting one of the most powerful being in the universe—and that's not bragging. I have more morphers than Tommy Oliver and more powers than Zordon."

"You're still going to lose," Xanthe replied placidly. Now she sat down, making her helmet vanish with a snap of her fingers. The Queen seemed mildly surprised by her confidence. She uncrossed her legs and scrutinized the Aquitian.

"What do you know?"

"Nothing that you don't." Brow furrowing, the Akra Queen tried to probe Xanthe's mind, but the real-world Xanthe quickly stepped back into the Akra-proofed room. The Queen's projection vanished. Smiling now, Xanthe looked around the room. She couldn't see the anti-Akra sensors buried in the walls, but she could tell where they were.

"Pocket Dimension—laser cutter," Xanthe ordered, reaching into hers. She drew out the cutter and hopped up on one bunk and began cutting. The Queen couldn't get through the telepathy dampeners—understandably: she needed protection most of all if an Akra were to go rogue. Xanthe could hold her off at least briefly, but if she was outside the shielding long enough, the Queen would likely take her mind by force.

The wide circle of wall fell inwards as Xanthe tapped it, and she reached into the smoking hole. The telepathy dampener was a round, knob-like device with flickering lights. Xanthe began fiddling with it. Hopefully the ambiguous little threat she'd thrown the Queen would keep her from doing anything too destructive. The telepathy dampener slipped in its socket, and Xanthe began unscrewing it.


	26. Chapter 26: The Silverstar, Jul 15, 2010

**The Silverstar, July 15th, 2010**

"What do you mean, you don't have Zords?" Mary snapped, staring incredulously at Isinia and Garfield. They were heading for the outer doors of the Silverstar, with a few civilians running back and forth on various jobs. Although they couldn't see it, Isinia and Garfield knew that there was an unknown ship, almost certainly Akra-flown, coming towards them.

"We just never got any," Garfield replied, with a helpless shrug.

"We used the Zords of the people we impersonated," Isinia added. Mary sighed, and repeated the information into her wrist-mounted Mesomorpher. The rest of the Mesozoic Giants were already getting their own Zords, stored in caves outside the city.

"Fine, okay…" the Ranger on the other end paused. "Go evacuate the civilians."

"Right," Garfield said, and Isinia nodded. Mary handed them their morphers, and activating her own, was transported to her remote Zord.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!" The pair shouted.

 _Garfield stands before a huge, dripping water clock. The hourglass in his hand glows blue, and the sand explodes around him in a blue storm. Swirling wildly, it forms his Ranger suit._

" _Cerulean Hourglass Ranger!"_

 _Isinia stands in the shadows of Stonehenge, lit by a red-orange sunset. The hourglass in her paw glows orange, and the sand explodes around her in an orange cloud. Whirling like a cyclone, it forms her Ranger suit._

" _Russet Hourglass Ranger!"_

The Ranger headed into the street. Now they saw the ship, black and beetle-like, hovering over the rooftops. Quickly, they ran to the nearest building,which had once been the city's police station. The front lobby was full of people, most of whom were asleep. The only light came from a few lanterns scattered around the room.

"Hey!" Garfield shouted, startling several people. There were cries of surprise as the civilians saw the two brand-new Rangers standing there. "Yeah, yeah, we know, but you guys need t o come with us, and fast. If you need any help gathering your families or your things, yell."

"I'll go to the other building," Isinia said, as the room filled with excited clamor. Nodding, Garfield waded into the crowd, though the people were so tightly packed that he could barely get through. Isinia winced: the stink of unwashed bodies was powerful, even through her helmet. She ducked back outside.

The ground trembled, and Isinia looked up to see the Zords coming towards them. The moonlight flashed off the metal hulls, and overhead, the Akra ship turned and started towards them. Isinia ran across the street into another building. Its front looked like a Greek temple, though battle scars had left it more like modern ruins. More people were camped out in the wide front room, and Isinia sprang up onto a teller's desk.

"Everyone! There's going to be a battle here very soon, you need to get up and come with me as quickly as possible!" Isinia shouted. The people began rousing themselves, and Isinia scanned the crowd, looking for people who might need help. As she darted through the crowd to a woman struggling with several children, Isinia realized that there were no old people here. She looked again to check, and found that she was right. Nobody in the building looked older than forty. Dismissing the thought for the moment, Isinia concentrated on helping the evacuees.

The sounds of fighting spurred the people into action, and soon Isinia was leading them all out the back entrance. The explosions, laser blasts, and metallic clanging and pounding were deafening, especially to Isinia's inhumanly keen ears. Wincing, she directed the people away from the battle with gestures. Fortunately her bright orange and white uniform made her very visible, and the civilians were rapid and obedient. In a few minutes, they were heading for the outskirts of the city, and Isinia ran back for more.

As she went, Isinia saw others were already streaming out of nearby buildings, some carrying sick and injured people, following her and Garfields' first evacuees. With an approving nod, she ran to help. As Isinia leaped over a fallen light pole, the blue Kronosaurus Zord fell to the street, plowing into the concrete with an explosion. Isinia ducked the debris and hurried on, hoping the Ranger inside was all right.

Most of the Mesozords were damaged now, a few unable to fight. Two Zords, a Supersaurus and an Elasmosaurus, managed to catch the battleship between them, and began tearing at it. Helping a last cluster of civilians leave the street, Isinia heard a whistle outside of human hearing range. Whirling around, she saw the small missile dropping from the ship.

"Run! Stay away from the buildings!" Isinia yelled. There was a flicker of light, and then a huge blue wave of energy exploded from the bomb, slicing into everything at its level with a boom that made Isinia's eardrums burst. She cried out in pain and doubled over, clutching her helmet, as debris rained down on her. Buildings crumbled like shattered glass as the energy hit them, and fireballs burst from the Mesozords.

Isinia's ears rang. For a long time, she just crouched where she was, ignoring the rubble pelting her back. A trickle of blood ran down her jaw, and more dripped from her nose. The sidewalk in front of her was splintered and cracked, exposing almost-black dirt and fat, pale worms. They wriggled back underground in a few seconds. Isinia caught her breath.

Shakily, she stood up, wobbled and caught herself on a wall. Her hearing was muffled, but still there, and the stabbing pains had faded to a mild throb. Looking around, Isinia saw that the battleship was gone, leaving several smoking Zords. Then she realized that several people lay on the ground around her, most pinned by rubble. Breaking into a run, Isinia darted to the nearest one and began pushing the chunk of concrete away.

Isinia freed fifteen people in the near-silence that followed. Seven were dead. As she checked the heartbeat of the sixteenth, a tap on the shoulder made her jump. Whirling around, she saw the Mesozoic Rangers standing there, looking as battered as she felt. The female Black Ranger spoke, but her voice was too soft and quiet for Isinia to hear.

"I can't hear you," Isinia said, probably too loudly by the way the Black Ranger flinched.

"Are you okay?" The male Ivory Ranger yelled at Isinia. If she'd cared, Isinia might have thought he was irritated.

"Well enough," Isinia replied, lowering her voice a little. Shaking his head, the Ivory Ranger went on to the Silverstar, and a few of the others went with him, male Aquamarine limping a little. The others went to help with the wounded and dead.

* * *

Xanthe looked up as Garfield came in. He stopped at the sight of her, sitting in a mess of wires and metal and tools retrieved from her Pocket Dimension. Not noticing the pensive look on his face, she sprang up and darted over, holding her telepathy dampener.

"Garfield, I think I've found a way to strengthen this dampener's signal so I can move around without letting the Queen into my head," she exclaimed, holding the device up. Bewildered, Garfield reached out and felt the device, and all the wires streaming out of it. "I've never been much of a technical genius, so I don't know whether I'm doing this right—in fact I think I may have broken this one—but it worked when I first pulled it out, and this team has techies—"

"Stop, too fast, back up," Garfield interrupted, putting up his hands. Xanthe stopped, abashed. Looking closer, she could see that Garfield was still out of breath, and his knuckles were bloody. She backed up, and put the telepathy dampener down.

"I think I've found a solution for my mental problems," she said. "Though I'll need the technical advisors for this team to actually manage it, I think."

"Oh, good," Garfield replied, looking genuinely relieved.

"And I've gained a certain amount of self-control without technology," Xanthe added. "Hopefully I've spooked the Queen into thinking we have a clever plan."

"Us, clever?" Garfield replied. He shook his head, coming further into the room with one hand running along the wall. His knee bumped a bunk, and he carefully sat down. "She'll never buy it."

"In any case, whatever she thinks we're doing, it's not likely to be what we actually do," Xanthe said, shoving the technology paraphernalia aside to sit back down. Bits of metal clattered on the floor, and she clasped her hands in her lap. Garfield nodded, and hung his head with a weary sigh. His hair hung in his face; it was almost long enough to ponytail by now, and his beard was coming in scraggly and uneven. Xanthe said nothing. She could see that Garfield was tense and rather nervous, and wondered what was wrong.

"Guess I'll just blurt it out. I want to marry you," Garfield said, sitting up and facing Xanthe. She blinked.

"I…beg your pardon?"

"That talk we had made me realize a couple of things I hadn't put into words yet. You're one of two people in either of our universes I trust anymore, and Isinia's taken and still kind of a stranger. You've been kind of a mate-mentor since rescuing me from the Akra way back when."

"You had just as much to do in that—" Xanthe began, but Garfield put up a hand.

"I know, I know, and that's part of it. We make a good team. The only place I've really got to go is those Eternal Falls you mentioned, which are on your homeworld. And ever since you let me touch your face, I've been dying to know what the rest is like." Xanthe blushed.

"…I didn't even know you loved me," she said quietly.

"Love? I don't think that's the right word for it," Garfield replied, stroking his stubbly chin and frowning. "If you mean that I couldn't live without you, adore you, and get all jittery and emotional and stuff when I'm with you, then no, I don't love you. But I trust you, and I think we're better together than apart: from experience, I like that a whole lot better than love. No crazy emotional ups-and-downs there." Xanthe wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"You seem to have put a lot of thought into this," she said at last.

"Well, yeah, if I was going to bring up something this awkward I wanted to make sure it was worth it," Garfield replied, with a grin.

"Then may I have time to consider it myself?" Xanthe asked.

"Of course! Do you want me to leave you alone for a while? I can take that transmitter thing to one of the Mesozoic Rangers," Garfield offered.

"I would appreciate that, yes," Xanthe said, nodding.

"Right-ho!" Getting up, Garfield held out his hand, and Xanthe gave him the telepathy dampener. With a spring in his step, as if he'd just gotten a load off his mind, Garfield went.

Slowly, Xanthe sat back, folding her arms. She stared at the blank wall opposite her, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. On one hand, she could see where Garfield had come up with this. But…she didn't love him either. In fact, Xanthe hadn't really decided how she felt about him, after everything that had happened.

The door opened again, and Xanthe sat up to see an old man walk inside, carrying her telepathy dampener. Garfield wasn't with him, Xanthe noted with some relief.

"What did you do to this?" The man asked, holding it up.

"I'm not entirely sure. I was trying to increase the signal and make it a personal field," Xanthe said, running a hand over her face and standing up. "I took it out of the wall; we can always get another one. I don't think it'll weaken the full shielding too much." The old man stifled a cough and sat down on the bench, digging through the tools to grab one. Xanthe looked more closely at him. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin sallow, and he was sweating. Also, something about him looked strangely familiar.

"What are you staring at?" He snapped, stopping his work to glare up at Xanthe.

"Pardon me. Who are you?" Xanthe asked, sitting slowly on the far bench.

"Finneus. I'm the mentor," he said, in a more normal tone of voice. He swallowed another cough and began fiddling with the dampener. In a few seconds he had a back panel off and was poking at the machine's innards with a screwdriver. Xanthe cocked her head.

"More than that. I've seen you somewhere before now, I'm sure of it." Finneus let out a long sigh.

"Before the Z-Wave, I was Finster," he said. Xanthe's eyes widened.

"Finster? Rita's monster-maker? That's amazing!" She cried, quickly crossing the room to sit beside him. "I didn't know you survived the Z-Wave! It does make sense, though, now that I think about it—you were one of the nicer minions."

"Thanks," Finneus muttered. He flicked a tiny spring away, and it hit the floor with a plink.

"I mean it," Xanthe said emphatically. "You were brilliant." Finneus looked up at Xanthe, and saw that she was absolutely sincere. The grouchy expression faded a little.

"Thank you, but those were the dark days. I don't like talking about them," he said.

"I'm sorry. If I may, how did you come here?" Xanthe asked. Finneus shrugged, and picked up a little circuitry panel.

"I tried setting on Aquitar, and decided to try my hand at making some morphers. A little way to pay back the galaxy for all the monsters I created: I was going to try and form a team on one of Rita's old conquests, help them overthrow whatever regents were left. But then the Akra Queen came…" he trailed off as the machine grew more complex. Xanthe waited for him patiently. She'd all but forgotten about—oh no, there went the distraction. She gave her head an angry little shake.

"She wanted my morphers for her new Akra. She was stealing DNA from actual Rangers, mixing it together and breeding clones to implant with her experiemental new Akra breed. They tried to make morphers of their own, but the Grid fried them. I don't remember much of that time, because I was under mind control. Eventually I woke up, so to speak, and found myself the mentor of what everyone thought were the children of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. We freed ourselves by accident, and it has brought us nothing but trouble since then," Finneus said. He began screwing the case shut.

Xanthe just shook her head slowly. Finneus started coughing again, his shoulders shaking, and Xanthe caught him by the arm.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," the older man wheezed, straightening. Xanthe snorted, and Finneus rolled his eyes. "Correction: I'm no worse off than anyone else." He held out the telepathy dampener. "We need to start testing this."

"Of course."

* * *

Thoughts from 2017: Every chapter I just keep reading and muttering "why was I _like_ this?" Also "how did it take three more years before I got diagnosed with depression?"


	27. Chapter 27: Northside Residential Dist

**Northside Residential District, July 16th, 2010**

Garfield sat in a wheelie chair, feet propped up on a desk and listening as the civilians he'd evacuated squabbled over vehicles. Most of them were trying to do what they should have done ages ago: leave. This half of the city had mostly avoided battle destruction or monster raiding, so there were many abandoned vehicles and even homes. Isinia was trying to help, and Garfield could hear her through the rumble. Somehow she'd managed to keep her temper through the evacuation and the hours since then, without apparently sleeping.

Hearing a pair of womens' voices rise above the murmur, Garfield sighed and got up. Another fight? Really? He wove through the other furniture filling the driveway, stubbing his toes and bumping his shins several times. Garfield was still morphed, but he'd taken his helmet off to hear better.

"Oi, you two!" He yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth. The women stopped abruptly. "Thank you, can we have more of this, please, instead of the yelling?" Garfield waited a moment. He heard the women start muttering, and folded his arms. They headed away into the crowd, and Garfield began feeling his way back to the desk.

"Garfield?" Recognizing Xanthe's voice, Garfield stopped and turned towards the oncoming footsteps. He crossed his fingers behind his back, and grinned as amiably as he could. Slowing to a halt, Xanthe panted for a few moments, and then straightened. There was a brief, awkward silence.

"So, telepathy thing working?" Garfield asked.

"Yes," Xanthe replied. There was a little metallic clink; she'd probably touched it. "Perfectly. You've managed all right with the civilians?"

"Well enough. Does this elephant bother you? He's standing a bit close," Garfield said, with a half-smile.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Never heard that phrase? 'Elephant in the room' means that one big thing everyone knows is right there, but nobody will talk about. I'm guessing you aren't going to give me a yes." Xanthe sighed deeply.

"I honestly can't say whether or not I trust either of us enough for marriage, Garfield," the Aquitian replied. "My mental state is best described as unstable, and in all honesty, I believe you want this so badly is not because you like me as a person, but because you think you lack options. I do not want to become that kind of crutch to you." Garfield winced, but nodded.

"Understood. Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying. So, are you here for another reason?" Xanthe grew businesslike, and Garfield sensed her relief. He promised himself a good, long pity party later on, once the ever-present threat of death had faded a bit.

"The Mesozoic Rangers think we should guide the civilians out of the city. The Akra will certainly try to intercept them to collect their former Hosts, and they will need protection."

"Got it. Can you try and find Isinia? I think it'll be easier if we're all together. She's over there somewhere."

"Naturally. We should work out the specifics together in any case." Xanthe hurried away again. Blowing out a long sigh, Garfield felt his way to a sofa, plunked down, and reached into his pocket. He needed a smoke.

But as Garfield pulled out his pipe, his thumb brushed splintered wood. Garfield stopped up short, and quickly felt the pipe over. The stem had broken in three places, leaving bits of splintered wood, two still connected by fibers.

"Oh, that is just not fair," Garfield said, glaring incredulously towards the remnants of the pipe. He flung it away and rested his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead with a groan. After a moment, he started and dove forward, feeling around in the grass for what was left of his pipe. "Where—where—" His fingers brushed what felt like the pipe bowl, but it turned out to be an acorn. Growing more desperate, Garfield crawled around in the grass, trying to find the broken pipe. "Gramps, I'm sorry, I just got frustrated—come on! Where are you?"

"What are you doing?" The teenage boy's voice startled Garfield, and he whirled around. Realizing how this must look, he sat back and sighed. A fleck of water struck his face, and he flinched. It was starting to rain, too? Oh, come on.

"I dropped a pipe—family heirloom. Can you see it? It's broken."

"This?" There was a rustle of grass, a squeak of sneakers, and then the boy was holding the bits of pipe in Garfield's face. With a little trouble, he found the hand and took them, giving a little nod.

"Yeah, thanks." Tucking the pipe back into his pocket, Garfield tilted his head up towards the boy's voice. "Garfield Brooks, you?"

"Ry Sanders, I guess," the boy replied. Garfield cocked his head to one side.

"You don't sound very sure about that."

"Dunno whether or not I should use that name. My 'parents' probably don't even know I exist," Ry replied bitterly. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"I know the feeling." Garfield stood up. It was definitely drizzling now. "You all in one piece?"

"For now." Garfield grinned mirthlessly.

"Good. You mind playing my eyes for a little while?"

"What?" Garfield turned fully towards Ry, and opened his eyelids wide, pointing to them.

"I'm blind. I could use some help keeping everyone in order here. You up for it?"

"They won't listen to me. I'm just a kid," Ry muttered. Garfield shook his head in irritation. A breeze blew, and

"Doesn't matter, answer the question." Ry shifted uncomfortably. The rain grew heavier, and Garfield shivered. The shoulders of his uniform were already starting to soak through. At least his clothes would get a good washing from this.

"Then yes, I guess."

"Lovely. Follow me."

* * *

The caravan of civilians was unusually quiet. It was raining cats and dogs now, and nearly everyone had piled into a van or car or truck. They were all heading out of the city, escorted by the three Hourglass Rangers. Garfield sat in the cab of the foremost truck with Ry, and Isinia and Xanthe rode motorcycles up and down the stream of traffic. Without Akra influence, Garfield refused to try riding a motorcycle, for the first time, with neither Akra influence nor Ranger instinct, in the rain. Nobody really blamed him.

Isinia swung around the very back of the slow train, eyeing the skies. That Akra battleship was certainly a threat, but not the only one. Isinia had glimpsed the main Akra station during the fall of Hourglass Facility: several flying saucers linked together by a weblike stem. Most were not as dangerous-looking as the battleship, but all were armed, if only with engines that could direct their residual energy into opponents.

The sky rumbled, and Isinia listened carefully. It sounded like a proton torpedo, but not near—Isinia looked back towards the center of town. Her vision was very bad in the storm, but there was a blue-white flash, and she glimpsed the Akra battleship in the sky, along with a long-necked dinosaur Zord.

"Garfield, Xanthe, the Akra battleship's occupied elsewhere," the Sirian said into her helmet radio, zooming around to herd some stragglers back into the main caravan. In the distance, Isinia could see the cars heading out towards an empty highway, and hit the gas.

For the next hour, Isinia and her teammates guided the refugees out of the city. Every second, they expected the Akra to appear, but they never did. The Zord battle raged further in the city; even the streets and buildings this far away quivered at the clashes. Fireballs and smoke filled the air, flashing and crashing like a thunderstorm in fast-forward.

But then, just as the first pair of cars crossed the city's border, there was a crackle of pink energy. The foremost car jolted as if it had run into a wall, and the others skidded to a halt behind it. Zooming over, Isinia sprang off her motorcycle, hitting the kick stand, and ran up to the wall.

"Pocket Dimension—energy reader," she ordered, reaching into the ring. Pulling out a squarish device, she pointed it at the now-invisible wall, and scanned. Xanthe was already coming over to join her, and Garfield exited his truck. The frightened civilians started to cluster around them, but Garfield handed out a few gentle shoves.

"It's Akra, right?" Xanthe asked, coming up beside Isinia. The Russet Ranger nodded.

"What else? It appears to be a ground-based field, with multiple generators around the site. I suspect we're surrounded." Garfield growled.

"How do we get rid of it?"

"Destroy the generators—but carefully. Knowing the Akra, they will be highly explosive, and for a shield this big, we'll have to remove quite a few before there's any effect."

"Better get moving, then. Okay, you lot," Garfield called, turning towards the gathered civilians. "Anyone who's up for this, follow the force field—but _don't_ touch it—and yell if you find anything that looks like a power source or generator. Got it?"

There were uneasy murmurs of assent. In ones and twos, the people started wandering off to look. A massive explosion made the ground shiver. A fireball rose up from the center of town, and black smoke began swelling towards the sky. Some of the people still in the caravan were frightened.

"I'll calm them down—and I'll stay here and make sure the Akra don't try anything," Isinia said quickly. Garfield nodded curtly and darted one way, and after a moment, Xanthe went the other. The explosions from downtown were slowing down now, and they were smaller. The Rangers there were probably just finishing up their battle.

* * *

Monitor Athena crouched behind a tree, staring at the green-clad Ranger creeping along the force field's edge. One clump of red hair hung in her face, and she blew it away with an annoyed huff. She wished she had cool powers, like some of the other Monitors, but she was just a draftee, switched from spunky princess training to piloting thanks to the war. She hadn't even gotten a chance to pick her arranged-at-birth fiancé.

Back to that Hourglass Ranger, and Athena's mission. Athena flexed her fingers, and drew her handgun from its thigh holster. The Viridian Ranger crouched down suddenly, and poked at the dirt. There was a pink flash from the force field, and she quickly backed up. Then she paused, and stroked the chin of her helmet.

It was a long enough distraction. Leaping out of her hiding place, Athena tackled the Viridian Ranger to the ground, firing her handgun into the other woman's spandex-clad shoulder and side. She cried out and struggled, but her suit was scorched from the shots. Flipping over onto her back, she pinned Athena to the ground, but the Monitor just squeezed the trigger.

At last, the Viridian Ranger's morph vanished, and Athena caught her in a headlock. The Aquitian choked, clawing at Athena's arm, but the redhead put her gun to her brainlike head. Panting, the Viridian Ranger stopped. With a little trouble, Athena got up, still clinging to her captive and aiming the gun at her.

"You're coming with me, fish-girl," she said, letting go to yank the Gyro Morpher off the other woman's neck. The Hourglass Ranger looked like she wanted to fight, and Athena pressed her gun into her head. "I wouldn't try anything if I were you."

Slowly, the Viridian Ranger rose, keeping her hands where Athena could see them. The two headed away, back into the city. Distantly, Athena could still hear the thumping of Zord footsteps, and the occasional scream. She shuddered, and promised herself to make sure those poor Akra were avenged. The Viridian Ranger was very quiet, though tense, and Athena steeled herself for an escape attempt. None came.

The two reached an old, gothic-looking mansion. It was boarded up and abandoned, but still in one piece. Pushing the Viridian Ranger up the creaky porch steps, Athena stepped around beside her and caught her elbow again. One of the double doors swung open, and a male Monitor looked out. He smiled in relief at the sight of Athena and her captive.

"Bring her inside—hurry," he said, holding the door open. Prodding the Viridian Ranger, Athena went into the dark house. Although the windows were boarded up, nobody had tried turning on any lights for fear of being spotted.

Most of the surviving Akra from the battleship were in the family room. Nearly all of the antique furniture's covers had been taken and torn into bandages, or was being used as sheets. Athena's eye went straight to Commander Joshua, lying on one couch. He was still unconscious, and the bandage around his chest was stained red. She swallowed hard.

"Found any survivors yet?" She asked, as the others looked up at her. A few quickly darted over, catching the Hourglass Ranger by the arms and binding them behind her back with twisted strips of cloth. She still didn't fight back.

"A few," the doorman replied, coming in behind Athena. He frowned at Xanthe, brushed past Athena, and tugged something out from under the Aquitian's uniform shirt. It was a round, metal device, which blinked blue as the Akra looked at it. "Is this why the Queen couldn't hear you before?" Not a sound, but the woman's breathing sped up. Smiling, the Akra man pulled the device off and tossed it aside with a clatter. "Don't worry. We'll soon fix that. Aquitians make surprisingly good comm units."


	28. Chapter 28: Telepathic Ping-Pong

The telepathic dampener hit the floor with a clank, and Xanthe's mind was immediately swept up in a storm of voices and faces and noise of all kinds. She was hurled into the back of her mind as the Akra Queen appeared, looking breathless and triumphant. Through her, Xanthe glimpsed the Akra station—a floating brain—white-uniformed scientists—but it was all blurry and indistinct.

Then Xanthe's vision changed, and she swept through Northside, leaping from Akra to Akra. Some were skulking through the streets, some nursing wounds in the shadows, and some creeping towards the Silverstar, weapons drawn. Sensing the presence of their Queen, they stopped and straightened, growing emboldened by the contact.

As the Queen began directing the remnants of her army, she released Xanthe back into her own body, just in time to witness an outburst.

"Where am I? What's going on?" Joshua Grace-Drake cried, looking around the dusty room in bewilderment. He tried to sit up, but one of the other Akra caught him by the shoulders. He struggled a moment before recognizing them.

"We escaped the battleship just before it blew," the other man soothed. "Your mother's gathering the survivors. Nearly everyone made it." Joshua visibly relaxed.

"Where's Tiffany?" He asked, in a calmer voice. The other Akra exchanged glances, looking nervous, and Joshua saw it. His eyes narrowed. "Where is my sister?" He repeated, in a louder voice. "Answer me!"

As the Akra continued to remain silent, Joshua sat up straight, throwing aside the sheet and the man trying to help him. Eyeing the group, he settled on the little redhead who had captured Xanthe—Athena—and caught her by the shoulder. She yelped, startled, as he looked intently into her eyes.

"Tell me what's happened to Tiffany," he ordered, in a low, threatening voice.

"The Pink Ranger…sh-she's gone," Athena stammered. She pointed a trembling finger. "Liara saw it." Joshua was frozen for a minute.

"No," he said at last. "No, no, no—Tiffany!" He let go of Athena and bolted for the door, only to be tackled by a pair of Monitors. "No! She can't be! _No!"_ He writhed in their grip, continuing to scream and curse the Mesozoic Rangers, Pink in particular. It took a very long time for the fit to fade, and most of the other surviving Akra trickled into the room.

Xanthe's arms were beginning to ache; they were twisted at an odd angle behind her back. Unfortunately, as she tried to shift, she realized that the Akra Queen had control of her voluntary nervous system. She still swallowed and blinked and breathed, but she couldn't consciously move a muscle. If Xanthe tried, her limbs grew unbearably heavy.

"I'm all right. Get off," Joshua said, more quietly. The Monitors let go of him, and he sat up, swiping at his face. He'd been crying, though his face was barely even pink. Slowly, he gazed around the room at the other survivors. His expression was hard and determined.

"I am going to the Silverstar," he said slowly. One Monitor began to protest, but Joshua silenced him with a glare. "I am going to find the Pink Ranger and make her beg for death for murdering my sister. Anyone who wants to join me and help take down her teammates is welcome to come." Then he stood up, rolled his neck around, and started towards the door.

Athena and four of the younger Akra sprang up immediately.

Xanthe began poking through the other contacts. Now the city looked semitransparent to her, shining threads of various colors spiderwebbing across it, all woven around her. A thicker, white cord shot up from Xanthe's chest into the sky, and in the distance, Xanthe could see the string ball of Akra energy wound around the approaching station. For some reason, the Akra Queen didn't pay any attention to Xanthe's consciousness.

Wait, why was that? Before, the Akra Queen had made sure to control Xanthe: now she was essentially just tied up in a corner as the Queen projected through her. Xanthe's mental self looked up, shifting a little. The white cord dug into her chest, spreading thin tendrils across her skin, and she shuddered. Carefully, she rose to her feet, grasped the thick white threads, and began climbing them. It was a little awkward, and any dramatic tugs made it dig into her chest, but it was only a mental projection, so there was no pain.

As Xanthe climbed up into space, she kept seeing the other Akra's minds. The vague telepathic roar faded as she climbed, but as she rose, Xanthe noticed other threads shimmering in space, stretching from the Akra station to various parts of the Earth. Most were centered in California. Experimentally, Xanthe reached out and touched one as it came within reach.

"… _There's something I haven't told you about me. Why I never take this bracelet off," Carmilla said, looking down at her bare feet and biting her lip. They were on the beach, at night. Antonio Garcia, one arm around her and the typical dopey love-interest look in his eye, raised his eyebrows._

" _Is the mysterious new girl going to reveal her secret to little old me?" He asked teasingly. Carmilla nodded, and rose, sliding the silver bracelet off. Her skin grew very pale, and her eyes a deep blood red. Antonio sprang to his feet with a startled exclamation as Carmilla opened her mouth, showing a pair of elongated fangs. Quickly, she put the bracelet back on, transforming into her old self._

" _My mother was Necrolai, queen of the vampires, but my father was a human. I'm only a dhampir—half-blood," Carmilla said._

Xanthe let go and kept climbing. She could still sense the story continuing, and rolled her eyes as Antonio was figuratively enchanted by the dhampir. Then she slid through the top of the spaceship. To her surprise, the white cord did not lead to the Akra Queen directly, but to an Aquitian brain floating in a large tube. The tendrils linking it to the Queen were much narrower, and Xanthe realized that the brain was a telepathic surge protector.

Cautiously, Xanthe came up to the brain, and put one hand on the glass. She recognized a narrow scar across one temple, and gulped: Urisus, her predecessor and cousin. He'd gotten that scar during an attack by Hydro Hog when they were both children; a dome had broken and sprayed them with glass. Xanthe's stomach knotted itself, and a surge of anger made the white cord dig deeper into her chest.

Then the Queen, turning mid-pace, saw the Viridian Ranger. Her violet eyes went wide, and she gestured towards Xanthe. There was a jerk, and Xanthe was flung all the way back down to Earth. The cord snapped taut as she reached her body again, and she felt a jolt of pain through her head. Scrambling back up, Xanthe sat against one wall of her mental room, thinking furiously.

"Don't," the Akra Queen ordered, catching Xanthe by the throat. The physical Xanthe choked, dimly aware of the Akra in the room noticing. "Be good and nothing will happen to you—for now, anyway."

"Right," Xanthe gasped, and Queen Saffron let go of her. She faded away again as she got back to work. Xanthe decided to plan later, when the Queen was busier. For the moment, she followed the Queen's gaze to Joshua's attack on the Silverstar.

The prince was already inside and atop the Pink Ranger. As Xanthe and the Queen watched, he stabbed at her chest, and her morph vanished. Xanthe couldn't remember her name, but the Queen did: Mary Oliver. As she struggled, Joshua yanked off her morpher and hurled it aside, then caught her by the throat. His free fingers had all turned into silvery blades, and now he began cutting the girl with quick little jabs.

The Queen turned to the other Akra fighters, to Xanthe's relief. They were down the hall towards the navigation section, locked in combat with the male Ivory Ranger. Three had already fallen, two with broken heads and the other shot through the heart. With a surge of hot anger, the Akra Queen tried to reach into his—Jack's—mind, and the tiny, faint Akra signal coming from it.

The Ivory Ranger stopped up short, and his attackers paused, confused. Then he let out a yell of fury and lunged at them, swinging wildly with his Superstaff. Xanthe felt a ripple of fiery pain through the link. The pressure was too much: Jack's weakened Akra died with a burst, and stumbled and clutched at the back of his neck as it disintegrated. Taking advantage of the moment, Athena charged and fired at him, only to take a laser to the thigh. With a scream, she hit the wall and fell, clutching her burned leg.

"Later," Jack grunted to her, and turned towards the others, whirling his Superstaff. He let out a harsh laugh. The Queen withdrew, tense with anger, and Xanthe snapped back into full control of herself with a jolt.

Xanthe gasped and swayed, and a Monitor caught her by the shoulders. The telepathic dampener came back on, and the Akra let Xanthe fall onto her side. Thirst burned her throat, and the Aquitian felt light-headed. The few Akra still in the abandoned mansion moved away to plot in low voices, leaving their captive lying on the faded, wine-red Persian carpet.

As she caught her breath, Xanthe began to plan. She'd seen enough: she'd found the Queen's weakness. No living creature could handle direct telepathic contact with so many beings at once. Now all Xanthe needed to do was exploit it without killing the dozens of Akra and hosts linked to her. Incredibly difficult, but not as impossible as fighting the overpowered Akra Queen hand-to-hand. Xanthe shut her eyes.

* * *

The Akra Queen was halfway down the hall, off to find something for her headache. The telepathic ping-pong and strategizing had given her a terrible migraine, never mind sensing the deaths of her Akra as she'd been connected to them. It had strained that Aquitian brain; Saffron guessed it was starting to decompose at last. At least having Xanthe's live brain helped. Maybe the Queen would put her in a tube alive and use her that way. Last longer.

Then, as if on cue, a transmission cut right through her transformer and shot into her head. Joshua's mind, looking up at a pink helmet. The spandex-clad body was masculine, and the slashed arms were covered in blood. A pair of hands was around Joshua's throat, and he was struggling.

"You actually did that wrong. The neck-snap move," the male Pink Ranger said. It was Kev Scott, former Red Mesozoic Ranger. Then Saffron and Joshua's vision snapped up and back with a crack. A blast of white, icy pain tore through Joshua's body, followed by an awful numbness. " _This_ is how it's done!" Then everything went dark.

Saffron's knees buckled, and she caught herself on the wall, gasping. Her free hand went to her chest, and she felt a prickle behind her eyes. The transmission faded, leaving green blurs in her vision.

"Joshua," she panted. A single, clear tear ran down her cheek. Then another caught in her long lashes. Surging to her feet, the Akra Queen ran to her own quarters, weeping uncontrollably. Just like the teenager she appeared to be, Queen Saffron threw herself onto her bed, seized handfuls of her blankets and sobbed into her pillow.

After half an hour, Queen Saffron's tears faded. She breathed slowly through her mouth, flexing her fingers around handfuls of crumpled blue blankets. Her face darkened, and slowly, she pushed herself up. Turning, she faced one mirrored wall of her bedroom, and snapped her fingers. With a quiet hum, the mirror folded up, revealing shelves full of morphers.

Saffron rose and went to the shelves. She already wore her White Ranger morpher, a belt buckle that resembled the Green Dragon Ranger morpher it had been made from. Eyeing the shelves, the Queen frowned a little in concentration. She picked up a purple Wind Morpher, then a bronze Samuraizer. After a moment's consideration, she set it back down and stepped back.

A second version of the Akra Queen stepped out from behind her, coming to the original's side. She was clad in the same t-shirt and jeans, but lacked the morpher. Grinning, she took up a green Overdrive Tracker and clipped it on her sleeve. Then both women duplicated again, their clones taking a black ice-generating Mystic Morpher and an orange Solar Morpher. Then they did it again. And again.


	29. Chapter 29: 8:53 pm, July 16th, 2010

**8:53 pm**

Distantly, Xanthe heard the Mesozoic Rangers burst into the manor, but didn't pay it any attention. She was completely absorbed in her task. The few Akra who hadn't gone with Joshua sprang up and joined the battle, leaving Xanthe tied to a chair leg in a corner. She closed her eyes.

Slowly, quietly, Xanthe had followed the telepathic link back up to Urisus's brain, channeling all of the Akras' minds safely into the Queen's, keeping them quiet when nothing important was happening. One by one, Xanthe took over the connections from her dead cousin. The Akra Queen, gearing up as her ship headed for Northside, didn't seem to notice the change. From what she'd said and implied about Aquitians, she probably couldn't tell the difference.

Xanthe's head was already buzzing with voices. With grim satisfaction, she realized that her experience trying to hold off the various voices the Akra Queen had forced into her head was helping. Ironic. A chair smashed beside her head, and she decided to put her operation on hold for a little while. Opening her eyes, Xanthe scanned the battle.

Mesozoic Blue and Aquamarine, respectively male and female, each had about five or six opponents, but fighting hard. The Blue Ranger was flattened to the ground by a black wolf, but caught in the joint of the neck with his axe. It howled and fell on its side, and he yanked the axe out as it turned back into a female Monitor. Cracking a whip, Mesozoic Aquamarine kept her attackers beyond arm's reach, each hit drawing a burst of green-blue energy. Still, the two were clearly tired as well as outnumbered.

Xanthe's Gyro Morpher lay on the carpet, a few feet away from her. Grabbing the chair she was bound to, Xanthe scooted forward, dragging the heavy piece of furniture with thumping jolts. Simultaneously, she worked off one of her boots, and stretched out a foot. Catching the chain with her toes, she dragged it back to her lap, and flicked the gyroscope with her toes.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!" She yelled, and her bonds burst as she morphed. The Queen sensed it, and quickly one of her duplicates activated their telepathic link. "No—Neural Net, Psychic Wave!" Xanthe hurled it at the nearest Akra as the Queen's control made her knees buckle. It was less overwhelming and invasive, more a direct stab to Xanthe's mind. She fell as the wave of energy washed over the room, knocking out everybody who wasn't morphed.

"Bad girl!" The Akra Queen shouted over their mental link, and demorphed Xanthe with a gesture. Xanthe fell to the floor, gasping, and sucked in a sharp breath as the Queen sent a ripple of pain through her mind. Her vision flashed blue, and she clutched at the carpeting, trying to fight off the attack. Inside her mind, the Akra Queen was standing over her, one lightning-covered hand to Xanthe's head, shocking her. Xanthe imagined catching her wrist and forcing it back, but the Queen was stronger, and just kicked her in the stomach.

"Hey—are you okay?" Mesozoic Blue asked, putting a hand on Xanthe's shoulder. She choked and clutched at her head, and heard the two Rangers talking urgently as the Queen telepathically stabbed her fingers into Xanthe's brain. Xanthe screamed and curled up in the fetal position.

"Never—do that—again," the Queen said, her voice echoing in Xanthe's mind. "Understood?" Xanthe couldn't speak, but she grabbed her Gyro Morpher and tossed it away with one tense, shaking hand. The Queen smiled, though her eyes were like chips of flint, and drew back.

"We need to get her back to a shielded room," the Aquamarine Ranger was saying. Xanthe pushed herself up on her elbows, swiping cold sweat off her face, and shook her head. The two paused and looked at her.

"No, I'm fine," Xanthe said, still breathless. She swallowed hard; she'd bitten her tongue and could taste blood. "I-I have a plan to weaken her which requires me to use my telepathy, and the Queen has not figured it out yet." The two Rangers exchanged glances. Then the boy shrugged.

"Fine, we could use a plan. We're taking these guys back to the Silverstar. You coming?" Xanthe shook her head, and the Blue Ranger got up. Aquamarine went a second later, first giving Xanthe a shoulder squeeze. The Aquitian managed a shaky smile, very briefly. Then she closed her eyes and got back to work.

* * *

"It's no use," Isinia said, standing. Garfield sat back and shook his hands, leaving the half-dug-out shield transmitter where it was. "Whatever that flicker was, we didn't do it. This shield's being controlled from the outside; it probably compensates for each transmitter we remove."

"Considering we've removed about five, that isn't saying much," Garfield muttered. He took off his helmet and cocked his head to one side. "Thought I heard a bird." Isinia listened. There was a faint screech like a bird of prey, and she nodded.

"Odd. I haven't heard any wild animals in here before now—or perhaps I just didn't notice," Isinia said.

"Don't assume any coincidences," Garfield said. He set his helmet on the ground beside himself and turned to face Isinia. "What's the worst possible reason for that noise you can think of?" The Sirian considered.

"It's a shapeshifter that's going to feed off of everyone left in the city," she replied. "It would turn them into more of itself and create an army big enough to consume the planet." That made Garfield crack up.

"I was talking about worst possible thing in the realm of possibility," he said.

"Those exist. They're called Galvanoids, they nearly eradicated the entire Betelgeuse system before SPD stopped them," Isinia replied seriously, Garfield stopped laughing.

"This universe is bloody bizarre," he muttered. Then he rose, taking his helmet, and stretched. "Now what? Wait for the Galvanoid to strike?"

"I doubt it's a Galvanoid we have to worry about, but yes, we have to wait. The Akra Queen has the next move," Isinia replied. The two began to walk, and Garfield promptly tripped over a chunk of debris. Isinia quickly took his hand to guide him, leading him around a heap of rocks and into a wider street. They were quiet for several minutes, just walking through the dead streets of Northside. The sky was still muggy with clouds, and a still, thick silence hung in the air.

"Any idea on what the Queen's next move will be? You know more about her than I do," Garfield said.

"Left step." Garfield obeyed. "Revenge, but beyond that, no. She thinks she's the one in the right, so she'll probably play by the rules unless we've angered her too much. If I remember correctly, she had a semi-controlled 'evil' side that came up a few times." Garfield frowned.

"Evil side? She's Jekyll and Hyde too?"

"Essentially, though the cause was magic or alien interference, I believe, not chemicals. Downward stairs." The two started down a flight of stone steps. Garfield felt for a hand rail, but he found it twisted half-off, shrugged, and kept his hand outstretched for obstacles.

"Same difference. Um, change of subject, but you're married, right?"

"Yes," Isinia said, smiling a little.

"If it's none of my business then tell me to shut up, but how did you two end up together?"

"This is about Xanthe, isn't it?" Garfield turned his head away, and they reached the bottom of the stairs. "We were friends from the Academy, almost from the first day. I was never much of a fighter, but Doggie helped me persevere. I kept him from doing anything he would regret, as often as I could. We parted ways after graduation, but managed to find each other again. He finally asked me the night after becoming part of what was then Sirius's A-Squad." She didn't say she missed him, but suspected Garfield could hear it in her voice.

"Thank you, but that doesn't really help me," Garfield said ruefully. They were almost in sight of the Silverstar now. Isinia could see Mesozoic Rangers and civilians carrying white-uniformed Monitors into the spaceship, and picked up the pace.

"Wait and see. You both have been through a great deal with each other. When our lives settle down, and you have a chance to know each other in peacetime, perhaps you can ask her again. And you will be able to convince her that she is not some kind of security blanket for you," Isinia added. Garfield gave her a sightless glare.

"You've been talking to her."

"A little, while we were guarding the convoy, but it is fairly obvious," Isinia replied. "Come, we have Akra to detach."

* * *

The Akra station landed on the empty land outside the city, shielded, but still sending up a huge cloud of dust as it touched down. Inside, the remaining scientists were working busily around their Queen. There were now seventeen of her, each armed with her own morpher, but most of the other Akra focused on the White Ranger.

"My Queen, why not just vaporize the city from orbit—or strafe them with lasers? We have the capability," one said.

"Because we don't need to. I can handle them—and I need to. It's personal," the Queen replied. She chuckled. "Are you worried about me, Monitor Lawrence? You think eight battered clones and two straggling Rangers even have a chance against me?"

"I don't like risking it," Lawrence replied. He didn't say it, but the Queen could tell what he was thinking. They'd managed to kill both of her children already; the Mesozoic Rangers were stronger than they'd reckoned. Her eyes narrowed, and she grasped his shoulder.

"Those were one-on-one battles, fought almost fairly. Don't worry, I won't make that mistake. Now," she raised her voice, and her duplicates turned towards her. "Overdrive and Wild Force, scout the force field from the air. Mighty Morphin, summon the Dragonzord, it will take time to get here. Scarlet Sentinel, remain here and monitor all telepathic transmissions, coordinate for us and keep that Aquitian under control. Everyone," she grinned, and unclipped her belt buckle morpher, "It's Morphin' Time!"

"Dragonzord!"

"Silver Ranger Power!"

"Shift into Turbo!"

"Let's Rocket! Gold!"

"Sentinel Power!"

"Electrum Power! Lightspeed, Rescue Ready!"

"Fermion Power!"

"Wild Access! Swooping Hawk!"

"Fire Storm, Ranger Form, Ha! Power of Fire!"

"Dino Thunder, Power Up, Ha! Velocirapto!"

"SPD, Emergency! SPD Cyan!"

"Magical Source, Mystic Force!"

"Overdrive, Accelerate!"

"Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed! With the power of a Cougar, Jungle Fury Orange Ranger!"

"Engine Cell, Activate! Ready: RPM, Get in Gear!"

"Go Go Samurai, Bronze Power!"

"Omni Ranger, Powers Unite!"

 _Saffron stands on a black block in a cavern. Her other suits and powers whirl around her in a multicolored cyclone. She raises her arms, and light pours through the prism of powers, transforming into a white beam that envelops her body and forms her suit. Black bands edge her boots and gloves, black armbands and belt snap closed around her body, and a black shield wraps around her shoulders. A unicorn gallops behind her and rears up, whinnying. Its head covers her own, energy rippling up the horn, and she strikes a fighting stance._

The Queen Rangers scattered, Mighty Morphin' already drawing her Dragon Dagger and playing the summoning tune. Running ahead of the others, Wild Force leaped into the air and transformed into a hawk. She was joined by Overdrive Sulfur, who sprouted a pair of green-and-white wings, and they both flew towards the city.

The force field flickered and died, just long enough for the Queen Rangers to leap through the barrier and enter the city. Then it reactivated. The Monitors still in the station were keeping it running, and they got back to their work. Monitor Lawrence glanced towards Northside, shook his head, and sighed. Then the communicator beeped.

"Monitor? I've changed my mind; deactivate the shield and give us a few strafing runs with the cannons. I want the Rangers scared." Lawrence's face lit up with a relieved smile.

"At once, your highness," he replied, and started warming up the controls. The outer hatch closed, and the rest of the Monitors sprang into action. As he worked, Lawrence felt a brief alien presence in his mind, just a flicker. He paused, but it was already gone, and he got back to work, telling himself it was just Urisus's brain. It did things sometimes that could fool one into thinking it was still alive.


	30. Chapter 30: The Akra Station, July 17th

**The Akra Station, July 17th, 2010**

Monitor Lawrence pinched the bridge of his nose: where had this headache come from? He glanced around. According to the screens ringing the room, Northside was in ruins. The Queen hadn't given him any orders for what to do now. She and her duplicates were wandering through what was left of the city, looking for dormant Hosts. Whenever she found one, she reactivated it and gave it that duplicate's morpher. Probably human shields, and dividing herself up that much had to be tiring, Lawrence decided.

The ship headed steadily for the Silverstar, resting in the crater it had left behind before. Lawrence began deactivating most of the guns. If anything bad happened, he didn't need the full arsenal; one good shot to the Silverstar's fuel tank and the entire street would blow. A strange thought came into his mind. Rule 108, random explosions are a bad idea.

Lawrence shook his head. Where had that come from? What rules? And why would someone need to be _told_ this? Wait; there was more, something about Gem and Gemma. Lawrence had no idea who Gem and Gemma were…well…Lawrence dismissed the thoughts sharply. This had nothing to do with his mission. All he had to worry about were the station's guns.

Guns. Rule 169, machine guns are not allowed anywhere. Neither are bazookas. Or rocket launchers without permission. Gem and Gemma—again!—'s permission is not valid. Beginning to feel nervous, Lawrence opened up his computer, and searched the station's databases for "Gem and Gemma." The computer replied with WHY DO YOU CARE ALL OF A SUDDEN? Blinking in red letters. Stupid artificial intelligence.

No. Lawrence gave his head an angry shake. Computers weren't stupid. It was right. For some reason, though, he muttered "I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave," and smiled a little to himself. Then he smacked his forehead. What was wrong with him?

"You're under Akra control, but we're working on that," a bubbling female voice said suddenly. Lawrence started and looked around. The other scientists were too far away to have spoken, and they weren't Aquitians anyway. The voice continued. "I'm communicating telepathically, stop looking around for me." Disturbed, Lawrence closed his database search and began fiddling with the gun controls.

"I know this bothers you, but I'm trying to help you," the voice continued. "Do I sound familiar to you? We know each other." Lawrence tried to remember when he'd ever met an Aquitian, but the headache got suddenly worse. "They don't want you to remember. I'm sorry, but I'm a bit…stretched at the moment; you'll just have to fight it."

"Fight what?" Lawrence asked aloud. The nearest Monitor glanced at him, but Lawrence pretended he was busy and hadn't spoken. He thought the question at the voice. She did seem vaguely familiar. He winced and rubbed his forehead.

"The Akra."

 _But I'm the Akra. How do I fight myself? Why would I?_ Lawrence muttered mentally.

"No, you're not. I'm not talking to Monitor Lawrence, I'm talking to Corporal Lawrence Harvey of Time Force, and I know you can hear me." The pain built, and Lawrence's ears popped from the pressure in his head. He almost, almost knew, like someone trying to remember a dream the morning after…rules…Time Force…Aquitian…Corporal Lawrence Harvey.

Corporal Lawrence Harvey.

" _Your team has done well, especially considering the circumstances. Therefore, I'm promoting you from officers to corporals. I hope you will take your new rank, and the responsibilities that go along with it, seriously."_

It took him a moment to identify the man whose voice echoed in his memory. Captain Logan, of Time Force. Then what felt like a red-hot dagger stabbed through his forehead, and he doubled over, clutching his head.

"Monitor Lawrence?" The other Monitor's voice was vague and blurry to his ears. Panting, Lawrence wondered what was going on. He remembered—then he didn't, and the pain grew, making his knees buckle. Someone caught him by the shoulders as he fell, shouting in alarm. Then, abruptly, the burning receded.

"Keep trying." It was the Aquitian woman's voice, now tight with pain. "I can absorb it for a little while—fight it."

"I'm okay," Lawrence panted, struggling out of the grip of the other Monitor. "Th-thanks, just a headache."

"You should go to sickbay," the woman said. She looked vaguely familiar. A new memory flew into his head: that same woman in Time Force uniform, covered in mud and ash, lying under an overhanging rock as rain pelted down on them.

"Sanchez?" He asked, disoriented. The woman frowned.

"I'll take him," she said to the others, taking Lawrence's arm and pulling him to his feet. The two left the room, and other Monitors took their places. As they headed up and down identical white halls, Lawrence wracked his brains. Something was very wrong here.

Then he stopped up short, and it all came back. He was an officer of Time Force, assigned to capture and contain Akra and return their Hosts to the normal timeline. He'd been captured along with his team, and now—the Akra on his back wriggled abruptly, and the pain returned in full force. Lawrence Harvey doubled over with a scream, clawing at the back of his shirt, as Sanchez tried to help. Thinking fast, he undid his jacket zipper, threw it aside, and began peeling the Akra off his back. It clung stubbornly to his skin, digging in and drawing blood.

"It's defective—help me!" He screamed at Sanchez. Since all the other Monitor could see was a panicking Akra, she started helping Harvey. The Akra made a burbling noise and lashed out at her, but she ignored it and just pulled. As the two forced the creature free, the pain inside Harvey's head faded, and he grew stronger. Finally, the last tendrils came away, and Sanchez hurled the red Akra blob against a wall—hard. It fell with a plop, twitching dully, and Harvey panted. Red swirling welts stung across his shoulders and back, but his head was clear. Finally.

"Help me free Sanchez," the Aquitian woman's voice came in again, sounding relieved. "Try to trigger her memories and get the Akra off her."

"Right," Harvey said aloud, confusing Sanchez. He stood, rolled his shoulders, and faced the woman. She backed up a step, looking worried at the look on his face. Unclipping a radio from her belt, she started raising it to her mouth.

"Sanchez—Elizabeth," Harvey said, and she paused. "Try to remember. I could, I know you can. You aren't a Monitor. You've spent the last few months fighting them alongside me." She stared at him, and clicked on the radio.

"Monitors, we have a loose Host—" she cut herself off with a gasp, and put a hand to her head. Harvey caught her by the shoulders, and she shoved him away.

"You're the one obsessed with 20th century Earth pop culture, remember? You almost got disqualified for this job because you're in the right age-gender-attractiveness range, but you worked and worked and worked and got in. I didn't see all of those meetings, what were they like?" Sanchez's eyes widened, and for a moment, she recognized him. Then blue Akra tendrils spread up her neck across her cheeks, and she screamed in pain. Harvey caught her and began peeling at the creature, which snapped and lashed his hands.

A little awkwardly, he tried to pull the Akra up the back of Sanchez's shirt, but it wouldn't budge, just writhing in his grip. Sanchez reached back, and with a little effort, managed to rip open the shoulder seam. Harvey slid his hand under the Akra and squeezed. It squealed and shuddered, and Sanchez began digging at the lower tendrils.

"Let—go," she panted, gritting her teeth and yanking the thing off. It came away bloody, and she hurled it aside rather weakly. Dropping to her hands and knees, she panted for a few moments. Then she sat back, sniffed, and met Harvey's eye. "We're on the Akra station?"

"Yes."

"Do you think Nicholson's here?" Xanthe interrupted both of them telepathically.

"He is. Engine room." Harvey chuckled a little.

"Got a plan?" Sanchez asked Harvey.

"Give me a few minutes. Come on, let's get Nicholson." Rising, he held out a hand, which Sanchez took. Harvey pulled her to her feet, and the two headed away, both staggering a little with pain.

"Almost there," Isinia panted, pointing to the Silverstar up ahead. Garfield ran beside her, carrying Xanthe slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He stumbled over a chunk of rubble, nearly dropping the Aquitian, and Isinia caught both of them. A nearby building began to crumble loudly, and Isinia tackled the pair back to the ground as debris filled the air.

Xanthe stiffened abruptly, her breath catching in her throat. Garfield turned towards her, but she didn't do anything. A fireball erupted from the ruins of the building, blasting the trio with heat. Xanthe's breathing sped up.

"How much further?" Garfield asked.

"Twenty yards?" Isinia guessed. Garfield appeared to do a little mental math, and gave a curt nod.

"Now?"

"Run!" The pair sprang up and darted on, Isinia shouting out obstacles as Garfield reached them. He jumped and swerved rapidly, only tripping once on the rubble-strewn street. The Silverstar rose up before them, and Isinia bounded forward to smack the door control open. It hissed out, and Isinia climbed up inside, turning to haul Garfield and Xanthe in.

They fell against the wall and panted as the door closed behind them. Xanthe was still dead to the world, as if she were asleep in bed instead of being dragged through a battlefield. Garfield brushed her hair out of her smudged face, and whistled quietly.

"Just like old times, eh?" Isinia didn't have to ask; they'd already talked about his past as a soldier. She nodded.

"But with fewer deaths, thankfully."

"Thankfully." He ran a finger down Xanthe's face, and addressed her. "Will you please wake up or do something? You're starting to creep me out; it's like you're in a coma or something." She didn't react.

"We need to put her somewhere safe. The Mesozoic Rangers said she had some kind of plan to telepathically attack the Akra," Isinia said, rising with a groan. Garfield heaved Xanthe over his shoulder again and sprang up.

"Lead the way." Isinia, after a moment's thought, took them to the nearest set of private quarters, and helped Garfield lay Xanthe on a bed. He lingered a little as Isinia started back out.

"You're sure love isn't involved in this, Garfield?" She asked, teasing a little. The ground rumbled as another explosion boomed outside.

"Like she said, I'm not sure. Maybe it's just a lack of options," Garfield replied, with a slightly bitter expression. He straightened and turned to the Sirian. "We can't just…portal out of here with everyone? It's worked before."

"We'd be found in a heartbeat. It would only delay the inevitable." Garfield squared his shoulders.

"Right. Come on, let's find the clone Rangers."

The Mesozoic Giants were in the briefing room, all being fairly gloomy. Most of them were still wounded, and as Kayla pointed out, they were all probably sick. Being raised in a test tube didn't do much for one's immune system. Then the current Pink Ranger, Mary, sat up.

"I vote that we stop shuffling morphers and just pick ours out. We won't have a chance to confuse the Queen with more switching, and I'd rather die with a Ranger designation than without." The others exchanged glances.

"Sure," Kev replied, and unstrapped his Mesomorpher. The others did the same, tossing theirs on the table, except for Mary.

"I call Pink," she said, running her fingers over the morpher. Nobody objected. Kayla lined up the Mesomorphers in a neat little row, and when Dwayne nudged one out of line, she glared and pushed it back. He nudged it again, got a slap on the wrist, and sat back, folding his arms. One by one, the others took their morphers—Tawny Ivory, Kev Blue, Kayla Black, Tori Aquamarine.

Isinia realized the problem before the teenagers did. The one-handed half-black boy, Dwayne, had no morpher. He sat up slowly, and blew out a soft breath through his teeth as his teammates exchanged awkward glances. Isinia remembered Detra all of a sudden. They still had her stolen morpher. But no, he probably wouldn't take Pink…

"We have one extra, if you wouldn't mind," she broke in unexpectedly. Everyone turned to look at her as she opened her Pocket Dimension and drew out the Amaranth Gyro Morpher. Taking off her own, she set it down on the table, and hung the pink one around her neck in its stead. "We have no Zords, but then the Queen rarely uses those."

"Sure, great!" Dwayne exclaimed, snatching up the Russet Gyro Morpher. "You spin the spinny part and say 'Sands of Time Rise Up' right?" Isinia nodded. Biting his lip, Dwayne flicked the gyroscope-hourglass with his middle and ring fingers, and managed it. He shrugged. "Guess I'll have to do it with the wrong hand, though."

"Stop, listen," Garfield interrupted, sitting up straight, and the Rangers obeyed. Isinia realized what she'd subconscious detected a minute ago: silence. The shooting had stopped. Everyone knew what it meant, and exchanged grim expressions.

"Time, guys," Kev said. One by one, the others stood, the one-eyed Tori replacing her bandages with a black eyepatch.

"Kind of wish Xanthe was up for this," Garfield said quietly.

"She didn't tell you guys about her telepathy plan thing?" Dwayne asked.

"She was borderline catatonic; I guess that means whatever she's doing is working."

The group filed out of the briefing room, and then into the street, forming a line in front of the Silverstar. The Akra station hovered distantly above them, casting a black shadow across what was left of Northside. There wasn't a building higher than one story standing as far as the eye could see. Isinia stifled a cough, wincing at the smoke.

Then, through the darkness, the Rangers heard the sound of marching footsteps. Metal glittered in the firelight, and soon a row of Power Rangers strode to the end of the street. There were eighteen of them, one from each of the canonical Power Ranger teams. With sudden worry, Isinia realized that several of them were male. The Queen had recruited. The White Omni Ranger, who led the way, stopped the group.

"So here you are. I admit, I underestimated you. Tell you what, if you surrender to me and hand over all of your morphers, I may repurpose you, let you live as Hosts again. Some of you, anyway; you Hourglass Rangers are just too much trouble."

"Ready?" Kev asked his teammates. They raised their morphers, and the Akra Queen shook her head. Isinia drew in a slow breath. She could win this. She was going to live through this and see Doggie again; she'd looked at the records. No matter how powerful the Queen was, how much she could bend time, she _would_ _not_ change that.

"Ready!"


	31. Chapter 31: Across Time and Space

**Across Time and Space**

Xanthe sensed the Akra Queen—all of her—attacking her teammates. There were four other Hosts she'd recruited from the city, and Xanthe began quietly transferring their links into herself. All the while, the voices of the other Akra buzzed in her head.

Space Gold was one of the clones woken up by the captured Mesozoic Giants when they took over the Silverstar. She dug her Comet Cue into Isinia's back—no, that wasn't a Sirian or even a woman. What? Then Xanthe glimpsed the Amaranth Ranger, clearly a Sirian, dueling with the Omni Ranger. She shrugged it off.

The SPD Cyan Ranger was a boy, a civilian who'd survived Northside's many attacks. Xanthe tried to keep him from blasting Mesozoic Ivory with his rocket launcher, but the Aquitian was too thinly stretched. Then, as she reached for the Aureolin Turbo Ranger, she sensed a flicker of confusion from the Akra Queen—one of her. It was the Scarlet Sentinel duplicate, still aboard the Akra station. Alarms were sounding there.

Xanthe went back to the ship. Alarms were blaring throughout, and with a jolt, she felt Sanchez and Harvey free Nicholson. The trio was in one of the engine rooms, alone, but not for long. The loose Akra writhed on the floor, and Nicholson kicked it away with a look of disgust

"Now what?" He asked, shrugging his jacket back on with winces of pain.

"Monitors coming, south passage—quiet," Xanthe told them. She could barely speak, and she knew they could hear a faint humming through the telepathic link. "I'll use a perception filter, hide you." Nodding, Harvey slipped into the shadows, and Sanchez and Nicholson squeezed into other spaces around the thrumming engines.

The door slammed open, and Monitors ran into the room, weapons drawn. Xanthe blurred their vision centers, not letting them see the three Time Force operatives as they searched the room. The loose Akra was lovingly put in a jar and carried out. There was one close call when Sanchez sneezed, but Xanthe quickly triggered one of the Monitors' reflexes to sneeze at the same moment, and no one noticed.

"Your highness, I think they've moved. We're checking Engine 3," the leader said, and the group hurried out. The Time Force corporals relaxed, and gathered to plan. Xanthe began to follow the Monitors out, planning on freeing a few of them to cause a little chaos, when there was a physical jolt.

Xanthe jumped back into the battle, and through the eyes of the SPD Cyan Ranger, witnessed the Akra Queen's Hawk Zord form tearing into the Silverstar. With a peculiar feeling, she realized that she was inside the Silverstar. Then her body seemed to vanish, and as Xanthe watched, dozens of little light balls dispersed from the crippled ship as it fell. Oh, of course, an emergency teleport. Good.

Turning her attention back to the Akra station, Xanthe realized that Time Force wanted to talk to her. It was Harvey, and as she re-contacted them, she realized what they wanted. She had to free the Monitors guarding the non-converted prisoners. With a mental nod, Xanthe began bouncing through the ship, searching for the captives. With any luck there might be a few genuine Rangers in there to help.

There, Deck 4. Six Monitors patrolled the halls, the conversions having shut down for the battle. Xanthe wasn't gentle this time—she just reached in and seized a handful of the nearest Monitor's real memories, dragging them back to the surface. The Monitor doubled over and howled, and the others in the cell block ran to help her.

Xanthe could already sense the Morphing Grid, and she jumped through it into the nearest mind. She and a slightly drugged Udonna recognized each other at once, although both were startled. Quickly, Xanthe fed her the emergency code to open the door, and jumped into the next cell to do the same. As the other Monitors knocked their pain-maddened fellow out and carried her off to sickbay, Udonna's door slammed open, flattening the nearest Akra to the floor. The White Mystic Ranger sprang out, along with a few teenage girls who looked much less sure of themselves. As the other doors opened, more alarms started sounding.

As Xanthe was moving to the next cell block, she felt a sudden yank, and then the Scarlet Sentinel was in her mind. The Akra Queen duplicate image elbowed her across the face, punching her with the same arm and then the other fist, and Xanthe felt herself gasp in the real world. As her mental self-image doubled over, the Queen seized her by the shoulder and kneed her in the gut, swinging her around.

"What are you doing?" She snarled in Xanthe's ear. The Aquitian swung at her, but the Queen ducked and kicked Xanthe in the side, making her stagger. Vaguely, Xanthe could hear shouting as Monitors ran to retake their captives, only to be met by a furious Blake Bradley and Udonna.

Xanthe decided it was time. She made her mental self intangible, and the Scarlet Sentinel staggered. Moving to the far end of the room, Xanthe raised her hands. She focused on the whispering hum of voices that filled the back of her mind. All the Akra scattered throughout time and space in this universe, running their own little lives.

"What are you doing?" The Sentinel demanded. Xanthe drew in the voices. She opened her eyes and looked through the Sentinel, into every single version of the Queen standing behind her. Xanthe grinned, and let go.

" _I'll deal with him," the evil Green Ranger, now a girl named Tommi for reasons unknown, said to Goldar, eyeing the demorphed Red Ranger._

" _And the first prize for the singer competition goes to…Miriam Read!" The announcer declared, and the other students cheered as the girl skipped up on stage, guitar still slung over her shoulder._

" _Madison!" Nick yelled, as the evil Crimson Ranger stabbed Mystic Blue through the stomach. She demorphed, and blood began to run out of her mouth as the evil Ranger cackled._

The voices jumbled together, and the noise washed over Xanthe like the tide. She couldn't make a sound, but the Scarlet Sentinel vanished, along with all of the other Akra Queen duplicates. Through the babble, Xanthe could make out Saffron's agonized shrieks as all of the timelines poured in on her brain.

" _Lana!" Adam exclaimed in disbelief, as the fourteen-year-old grinned brightly at him, tucking her purple helmet under her arm. He whirled on Dimitria. "She can't be a Ranger! She's just a kid!"_

" _You miss her?" Princess Shayla asked Merrick gently. They both knew who she was talking about, and Merrick sighed and nodded._

" _What are you doing?" Saffron screamed, as Emperor Gruumm strode into the room. He looked down at the newborn twins, and snorted._

" _Throw her out the airlock," he ordered, gesturing to Saffron. "She's of no use to me anymore."_

Xanthe felt the physical jolt as an axe embedded in the woman's chest. Just a second before it happened, Xanthe knew it was too much for the Akra's brain. No one creature could bear that much power at once.

And then

Everything

Went

 _White_

Garfield was down on his hands and knees, panting, as the Mesozoic Rangers celebrated their victory around him. He tried to grasp what had just happened. There had been a lot of screaming, and then the Akra Queen had gotten a head implosion or something and died. She was dead. Really and truly dead.

A pair of gloved hands came down on his shoulders, and Garfield knew it was Isinia.

"I heard the Silverstar blow," he said, as she helped him to his feet.

"They teleported away," Isinia assured him. "Come, we have to find them. They're probably somewhere else in the city." Garfield nodded, and stood up himself. He was sore from the fight, but still high on adrenaline and didn't care.

"Hear or see anything?" He asked. The Sirian cocked her head to one side, listening.

"Follow me," she said, grasping Garfield's hand and leading him into what was left of Northside. The air still stank of smoke and charred bodies, bringing back a few unpleasant memories of the war against Venjix. Garfield breathed through his mouth, but he could still taste the stuff. He swallowed hard.

After a few minutes of walking, after the celebrating Mesozoic Giants faded into the background, Garfield heard running footsteps. He perked up, and Isinia turned to the right. Garfield followed her movement. Whoever it was, they weren't very fast.

"Finneus?" Isinia called.

"Hourglass!" The old man panted. He finally reached them, and Isinia let go of Garfield to catch the older man. He was out of breath, and panted for a bit before speaking again. "We all evacuated, and we've found the Akra Station a little ways outside of town. I think there's a fight going on inside."

"Is that where Xanthe is?" Garfield asked. "Or is her telepathic plan keeping her busy?" Finneus hesitated, and Garfield had a sudden bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Come with me, both of you," the mentor said at last.

"Is she dead?" Garfield asked immediately.

"No." Finneus started walking away, and the pair followed him. Garfield's imagination proceeded to kick into overdrive, churning out crazy, overtired possibility after possibility. He heard the other evacuees, a few moaning or injured, and sped up. Then he tripped over a chunk of loose stone, caught himself, and scrambled over to the group.

"Xanthe," he said, and someone caught his free hand. Gently, it guided him to a shoulder flat on the ground, and Garfield quickly felt the neck. A steady pulse beat there, and he sighed in relief. He slid his hand up to Xanthe's face. Her eyes were open, and she blinked.

"Xanthe?" Isinia asked, crouching down beside the Aquitian. She shook Xanthe, but got no response. Alarmed, Isinia sat up straight. Garfield turned in the direction he'd heard Finneus go. "What's wrong with her?"

"I'm not sure," Finneus replied. "She was borderline catatonic before, but she flinched a few times, and then about five minutes ago, she sat up, let out the most startlingly loud scream I've ever heard, and collapsed. She hasn't moved since. I fear there's been some kind of telepathic backlash from whatever she did to the Akra Queen."

Garfield turned back to Xanthe, and touched her face again. No reaction. He slid an arm beneath her shoulders and sat her up, and Xanthe didn't fall. Her breathing stayed perfectly even. Silently, Garfield wrapped his arms around Xanthe and pulled her head to his shoulder, shutting his eyes and resting his face on the top of her head. He could feel her eyelashes flick his neck occasionally as she blinked.

Vaguely, Garfield heard voices, but he didn't pay them any attention. One or two he recognized from during his time actively hunting Akra; he guessed he'd impersonated them or something. Nearly everybody left him alone, which he was grateful for. His adrenaline wore off, leaving his entire body aching, and he began to feel sleepy. As the day wore on, the clouds broke apart, and Garfield felt warm sunlight slanting down from his left. It was getting late in the afternoon.

At last, Isinia returned to him, and gently put a paw on his shoulder. Garfield turned his head towards her. His eyes twinged a little, and he blinked a few times. Only now did he wonder if the damage to his eyes had done something to his tear ducts; he felt almost like crying, but something wasn't working right.

"Yeah?"

"We're going to get a look at her, but you'll need to let go," the Sirian said gently. Nodding, Garfield slid Xanthe out of his grip, and stood as someone lifted the Aquitian in their arms. Garfield kept a grip on one of Xanthe's limp hands, and followed as she was carried away. They went up a metal ramp into a metal hall, wandering through a metal ship until they came into a cold, medical-smelling place. Garfield was having trouble staying upright now, and he let someone pull him away and make him lie down on a padded bench. He fell asleep as they worked on Xanthe.

It felt much later when Garfield woke up, and very quiet. He could hear two other people breathing in the room, probably women by the timbre, and rolled over. One of the breathers moved, and Garfield pushed up on an elbow. Someone had cleaned him up in his sleep.

"Well?" He asked. The breather sighed. She spoke, revealing herself to be Isinia.

"Xanthe attacked the Akra Queen by unleashing all of the memories and minds of her other Akra into her head at once. It caused a kind of telepathic explosion, but a massive one. Xanthe managed to contain it, and keep all the other Akra from having their minds blasted, but—"

"It hurt her," Garfield interrupted.

"There's…she's gone, Garfield. They tried a few telepaths; even Udonna looked into her mind. There's nothing but a blank now."

Slowly, Garfield slipped back down onto his back, and covered his face with both hands. He ran them down his face, then clenched them into fists, rolled over and slammed them into the wall. It hurt, so he did it again. Alarmed, Isinia darted over and caught his wrists to stop him, pulling him upright.

"Garfield!" He stopped struggling, and drew in a slow, shaky breath.

"We're going to Aquitar. The Eternal Falls. They can fix both of us; Xanthe told me so," he said, in a hard tone.

"I understand." Isinia wasn't patronizing, just quiet. Garfield flexed his stinging fingers. Then he got up, felt his way across the room to Xanthe's bedside, and found her hand. With a little more trouble, he sat down in the chair Isinia had abandoned. Isinia rose and left, closing the door behind herself.


	32. Chapter 32: Florida, November 19, 1996

**The Garage, September 9** **th** **, 2000's**

"If you're sure about this," Harvey said, looking at the group of RPM Rangers. Doctor K and Tenaya watched silently in the background, and the portal Harvey had come in by pulsed behind him.

"We're—" Gem started.

"Very sure," Gemma completed the sentence.

"We all agreed to look together," Scott said, and the others nodded. Harvey shrugged, and began handing out colored file folders. His new Captain's insignia glinted in the light. Summer gnawed on her lip, and Gemma giggled a little. Dillon, Gem and Flynn were serious, and Ziggy a bit fidgety. Both looking controlled, Doctor K and Tenaya accepted their own files.

"We tried to avoid spoilers for the future, but people do like to write about what happens after, so…" Harvey shrugged a little. "But we're from a parallel universe, so I don't think we got anything you should trust."

"Well, a few spoilers would be nice, give us an idea of what's coming next, I mean, this world is kind of crazy," Ziggy said, and Doctor K glared at him. "Right, yes, never mind." Harvey grinned and stepped back through the portal, which winked shut after him. The RPM Rangers exchanged silent looks.

"On three," Scott said. "One, two, three!" The seven Rangers flipped the files open and began reading the Akra reports.

"What? Oh, gross—"

"I have how many sisters now?"

"Bwahahaha!"

"Wait, how many girlfriends do you get? Why do I only have three?" Gem asked, looking over at Dillon's file. The former Black Ranger brushed him away.

Flynn smirked at a photo. "This chick actually sounds kind of nice. Wonder if her Host's from around here. Ow!" He rubbed his arm where Gemma had punched it.

"Okay, it's a toss-up between me and Dillon and me and Scott, what do you guys think?" Summer asked, grinning. Scott rolled his eyes.

Gem and Gemma's faces were now somewhere between horror and amusement, Gem pacing and his sister gnawing a hangnail. Flipping a page, Summer frowned at it, and slid a little away from Scott and Dillon. Ziggy, on the other hand, was grinning.

"You know, I think I remember that part," he said, pointing.

"Not possible," Doctor K said, not even looking up. "The Hourglass Rangers and Time Force removed the timeline entirely."

Ziggy rolled his eyes. "I was joking. Hey, there's some stuff about you in here, Doc!" Now she gave him a glare.

"Don't. Just—don't."

"I just can't believe all of this actually happened to us," Scott said, shaking his head. "Sort of." The Rangers continued flipping through the files, pausing every few seconds as one burst out laughing or had to repeat a particular bit to the others.

"Whew," Tenaya whispered to Doctor K. "Glad they took it so well."

"Would I have exposed them to something I didn't think they could handle?" Doctor K was eyeing her own folder, not looking up as she spoke. There was a little frown on her face, as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

"Right, guess not. Oh, come on, a long-lost twin? Are you kidding me?" Tenaya exclaimed, staring at her own folder. Doctor K shook her head, and went back to reading.

* * *

 **Emperor Gruumm's Ship, September 18** **th** **, 2015**

"So here you are, after all this time," Emperor Gruumm sneered at Isinia. The Sirian glared at him from behind the bars, but didn't do anything else. Mora stood nearby, watching with a little smirk. "Don't even think of trying to escape again, or I may not be so merciful."

Isinia didn't react. Shaking his head, Gruumm walked away, followed by Mora and a few Krybots. Slowly, Isinia sat down in the middle of her cell. It was all dark red-brown, lit by a faint light somewhere overhead, and very quiet. The force field around the almost branch-like bars of the cell hummed faintly, crackling every once in a while.

Then there was a pop, and a yellow portal opened up in the floor. Isinia sprang up just as Garfield fell up through it, catching himself on the side as gravity shifted. Quickly, Isinia pulled him upright. The portal disappeared with a pop as Garfield caught his breath. He grinned at Isinia, brushing hair out of his eyes. They were still clouded, but more hazel now.

"Hi," he gasped. "I've tracked down another straggler. Is this a good time?"

"Yes, but next time I'll call you." Garfield pulled out the Amaranth Gyro Morpher and handed it to Isinia, who looped the chain around her neck.

"Right-ho, Mrs. Cruger." Garfield pulled out a Portal Pointer, squinted at the buttons, and shook his head. "No, you do it. Losing my vision again. Coordinates are for the Pan Global training facility in Florida, about 1995." He smacked his forehead as he passed the Portal Pointer to the Sirian.

"Does hitting yourself help?" Isinia popped open the top of the Portal Pointer, revealing a trio of narrow dials, and began twisting them into place.

"Eh," Garfield said with a shrug. Fixing the coordinates, Isinia pointed and fired at the floor, and a second yellow portal hit and widened there with a pop. The two Hourglass Rangers jumped.

* * *

 **Florida, November 19** **th** **, 1996**

Isinia and Garfield materialized as human doctors in a hospital Emergency Room. There was a lot of fuss going on—a man with a strong Greek accent was yelling, and Garfield quickly moved to get him out. There were a few other doctors and nurses here, along with a patient or two.

"How could you throw away your training like this?" He shouted, as Garfield tried to gently usher him out of the hospital room. The gentleness soon faded. Isinia turned to the focus of his yelling, and saw a very pregnant, very scared-looking Kimberly. From the looks of it, she was going into labor. Isinia hurried over, reaching into her Pocket Dimension and sliding out a scanner behind her back.

"It's okay," she soothed, "just breathe." The scanner, which looked like a very fat-barreled handgun, beeped and whirred behind Isinia's back, and she turned away to check it. Yes, Chameleon Akra. Well, at least she'd be able to show Garfield something different.

"Brooks?" She called. Garfield reappeared at the door, shaking his head. His nurse's scrubs were askew, and he straightened them. Pulling him over, she whispered, "This is a Chameleon Akra. They attach loosely to one Host, steal two samples of DNA, and clone a child from them. You may want to see this."

Garfield slipped into a corner, and Isinia glimpsed a silvery hip flask come out of his Pocket Dimension. She shook her head, but then Kimberly cried out, and Isinia got back to helping her. She had never actually helped with a human birth before, but this wasn't going to be normal in any case, so she just tried to keep the former Pink Ranger calm.

Garfield returned once the glowing Eternal Falls water had faded back into his skin, and Isinia noted that his eyes were clearer. Kimberly let out the loudest scream yet, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell back in a faint. Before Garfield could react, everyone in the room froze, Garfield and Isinia included.

Kimberly's stomach moved, and not in a contraction. As Garfield and Isinia stared, physically unable to look away, flesh-tone Akra tendrils poked through her dress, peeling apart and depositing an unusually pretty baby girl on the bed. Jerkily, Isinia moved forward to catch the newborn, and the Chameleon Akra began to evaporate with a hiss. Isinia felt her memories beginning to warp as the Akra wrote a normal birth into her mind. It only stuck to the layer under Akra control, but the creature was too far-gone to notice.

Then everything jumped back to life, and the doctors swarmed around the recovering Kimberly. Isinia wrapped up the baby, who pinked up and started to cry. Slipping out her scanner again, Isinia confirmed that the baby had an internal Akra.

"We've got her; do we take her in now?" Garfield whispered.

"No, it isn't safe with her this young, especially with an internal Akra like this one." Kimberly was asking for her baby, so Isinia handed her to the tearful ex-Pink Ranger, who cuddled the infant. "Knowing these creatures, she's going to give the baby up for adoption and find her later in life, probably in time to reunite with Tommy."

"How long do we have to wait?" Garfield asked. "I mean, with the Queen gone, do we need to worry about taking the Akra out anymore? They're setting up a full facility in Northside to try and retrain Akra." Isinia shook her head.

"I couldn't say, but removing her from her intended environment could trigger an attack. We'll have to follow her." She pulled out the Portal Pointer, and she and Garfield headed out of the room. "She'll automatically draw us to her strongest moments, which would be the safest for her."

"But not for us. Of course." Garfield shook his head as Isinia opened up a yellow portal on the wall. The pair stepped through, right into a downpour. Recoiling, they darted under an overhang, and looked around through the darkness.

In a few moments, a shadowy figure appeared, crouching as it ran, and coming right up to the steps of a nearby building. It set a bundle down on the stone steps, and knelt beside it. Isinia's Sirian hearing picked up the voice perfectly, and by the way he winced, Garfield picked it up as well.

"I'm sorry," Kimberly whispered, "But it isn't safe for me to take care of you myself." Isinia drew closer, Garfield following, and glimpsed a flash of gold as Kimberly tucked something into the baby's blanket.

"Bet you a fiver it's a locket," Garfield whispered.

"I'll leave that bet where it is; I don't like to lose money," Isinia replied, and Garfield drooped. Kimberly stood up, backed away from the baby, and teleported in a flash of pink light. Garfield gave Isinia a questioning look, and she frowned.

"Again: if we're not taking this Akra out, can't we just grab her and take her to Northside?" He hissed. Isinia considered. With the Akra removed, neutralized or not, Time Force could undo the timeline. This would give them more time, if it worked.

"We'll have to be quick," Isinia replied. "It might still try a burst attack like the Chameleon Akra used to rewrite everyone's memories—and it'd be concentrated on the two of us."

"Right. Three, two, one!" The Hourglass Rangers darted out of their hiding places and ran to the baby, splashing through puddles as they went. The Akra Host was asleep, and only whimpered a little as Garfield picked her up. Isinia was already setting the Portal Pointer for Northside.

"I was right: a locket with the word 'Destiny' on it," Garfield whispered. "Probably supposed to be her name. Poor thing." Isinia gave Garfield a strange look, but it was very dark and he didn't notice. The portal opening startled Destiny, who just had time for a thin little wail as they jumped through.

They materialized inside the Akra Station, in a very white room, and Destiny started crying in earnest. Narrow, whitish Akra tendrils began to creep along her skin, but then the door hissed open and one of the Mesozoic Rangers darted in—a slightly plump blonde in pink. She quickly put one of the devices Xanthe had made to control Akra around Destiny's neck, and the tendrils faded.

"Belle, wasn't it?" Isinia guessed.

"Mary," the girl corrected her, adjusting her grip on Destiny. "You guys should bring thingies like this with you—she was sending out a pretty loud distress signal."

"You mean the crying? It wasn't that loud," Garfield said. Mary rolled her eyes.

"I mean on Akra telepathy wavelengths, genius. Cat picked her up right away." Garfield frowned, and Mary clarified, "I've got an Akra who goes by Cat."

"We'll look into it," Isinia said, "Thank you." Mary nodded, and headed out of the room, Destiny quieting in her arms.

Garfield and Isinia exchanged a look, and the human laughed nervously. "That was different. So, same time next week?"

"Certainly," Isinia said, smiling. Snapping off a salute, Garfield opened up a new portal and stepped through, and after a moment Isinia followed suit.

* * *

 **Aquitar, May 14** **th** **, 2011**

Garfield had his cane again, and was tapping down a whitish hallway. He saw someone stepping out of a room ahead, and squinted. His vision was fading again; it always did, though at least it was starting to last long enough to be useful. Still, Garfield guessed who it was.

"Urydice?" He called, and the Aquitian woman—Xanthe's mother—turned to him.

"Garfield," she said, acknowledging him with a slight nod. Garfield stopped in front of the door and leaned on his cane.

"Any news on the memory restoration?" He asked.

Urydice sighed. "Time Force has given me what the Akra downloaded, and they are trying to follow her through the rest of her past to retrieve the rest, but it will take time to order them correctly, and I'm still not certain Xanthe is capable of holding memories even if they are repaired. The shock could kill her." Garfield winced.

"Can I see her?" Urydice merely opened the door, and ducking his head and muttering thanks, Garfield entered.

The room was blurry and vague, but Garfield glimpsed something flashing on the other side of the glassy wall. Fish, he thought. The place smelled of it. Xanthe was sitting in a chair with her back to the door, staring at the ocean around them. Garfield's cane taps were the only noise in the silent room.

"Hey," Garfield said, sitting down beside Xanthe. "Took out another Akra. Chameleon thingy. Did you ever have to deal with those on your own?" No answer. Xanthe may have blinked, but Garfield had trouble telling. He took another swig of Eternal Falls water, and shut his eyes as the energy rippled through his body. It felt weird, but somehow right.

"How about before, when you were just a scientist? Ever have to deal with a baby clone? Eh, probably not. I think the whole cloning thing's kind of new, and so is the internal Akra. I wonder how many of those are running around right now." Garfield sighed. "It'd be a lot easier if you could help us."

Silence fell. Garfield reached over and grasped one of Xanthe's hands, loosely clasped in her lap. Over the last few weeks, he'd stopped thinking he felt her squeeze back, but he imagined it. Xanthe's breathing didn't even change; slow and steady just as if she was asleep.

"I'll be back tomorrow. Bye, Xanthe. Wake up soon." He rose and headed for the door, looking down at his feet. He wasn't sure if the rustle of fabric behind him was his imagination, but the soft, slightly raspy voice was definitely not.

"Garfield?"

* * *

Thoughts from 2017: The baby thing squicked me out even when I was writing it, but it seemed like the least gross/rapey option available.


End file.
